Pets’ impact on people`s well-being in COVID-19: A quantitative study

Introduction: The global coronavirus pandemic and the governmental restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading have generated anxiety, impacting people’s well-being. Former research suggested a positive impact of pets on their owner’s well-being, however little research has been conducted within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in which isolation measures and restrictions were implemented in many countries. Objective: This cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the influence of pets on people’s well-being, social connectedness, coronavirus anxiety, and the relationship of pet attachment on well-being during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants (N=72) were opportunistically recruited online across several countries. Data was analyzed using a MANOVA and linear regression. Results: The results indicated that there were no significant differences between pet owners and non-pet owners in terms of well-being, social connectedness, and coronavirus anxiety. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship between higher pet attachment and greater well-being was not found. Implications: Future research should focus on greater sample sizes and longitudinal data, with a focus on how pet-related interventions may improve well-being