FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Abigail Stevenson
Mars Petcare
+447966920486 – Mobile
[email protected]
PET OWNERSHIP CREATES THE “GLUE” THAT HOLDS SOCIETIES TOGETHER
New international study finds that pet owners experience stronger neighbourhood ties
BRUSSELS, BE (June 20, 2017) --- Pet owners report stronger neighbourhood social connections
than non-pet owners according to a recently published study. They were consistently more likely
to report social benefits such as helpfulness, friendliness and trust between neighbours. This
research adds strength to claims that pet ownership is a valuable and positive feature in
community and neighbourhood life.
“The notion that pets facilitate the ‘glue’ that holds society together, or ‘social capital’ goes
beyond the more commonly investigated role of pets as a social icebreaker’” says Dr Lisa Wood,
lead researcher. “We were interested in the extent to which pets facilitate social interactions
and creates the ‘ties that bind’ communities together”.
The University of Western Australia study, published in SSM-Population Health, was conducted
in collaboration with the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, part of Mars Petcare and was led
by Dr Lisa Wood, School of Population and Global Health. Researchers surveyed over 2,500 petand non-pet owners across three US cities (San Diego; Portland; Nashville) and one Australian
city (Perth). The survey measured multiple aspects of social capital including helpfulness,
friendliness, trust, and civic engagement. The study was the first of its kind to examine the social
capital effects of pets in two different countries.
Owning a pet was associated with higher
social capital compared with not owning a pet at all. This finding was consistent across residents
surveyed in all four cities studied.
“The stronger associations observed for dog walkers, may be related to the role of dog walking
as a way of greater neighbourhood surveillance and increased perceptions of safety within a
community” says Lisa Wood. “Pets in general support first meetings between neighbours, and
they are often a topic of conversation over the garden fence”.
“Pet ownership brings health and social benefits and there is a growing call for the societal
impact of pets to be taken seriously” says Sandra McCune, HAI Scientific Leader, WALTHAM.
“The study adds further support to this agenda and for establishing ‘pet-friendly’ cities, towns
and accommodation. The availability of parks and open spaces suitable for dog walking is
essential for pet well-being, and for people to fully experience the benefits of pet ownership”.
About the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition:
The WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition is the fundamental science centre for Mars Petcare and focuses
on the nutrition and wellbeing of dogs, cats, horses, birds and fish, and their benefits to humans. Located
in Leicestershire, England, WALTHAMTM expertise and knowledge informs the development of innovative
products that meet the needs of companion animals in a practical way. The centre recently celebrated its
half century and has pioneered many important breakthroughs in the field, publishing over 600 peerreviewed scientific papers. Today, WALTHAM continues to collaborate with the world’s foremost
scientific institutes, driving Mars Petcare’s vision to create ‘A Better World for Pets’ and delivering the
science that underpins leading Mars brands such as PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN®, BANFIELD
Pet Hospital, IAMS®, PERFECT FIT®, CESAR®, NUTRO®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and EUKANUBA®.
www.waltham.com
About Mars Petcare
Mars Petcare is the world’s leading pet nutrition and health care business that strives to make A Better
World for Pets every day. Mars Petcare believes that pets make our lives
better and that pet ownership brings joy and benefits which should be accessible to everyone. Mars
Petcare has a total of 41 brands in our portfolio, including billion dollar brands
PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN® and BANFIELD®. Other leading brands include: IAMS®, CESAR®,
SHEBA®, NUTRO®, DREAMIES®, EUKANUBA®, BLUEPEARL® and PET PARTNERSTM.
And the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, a leading scientific authority on pet nutrition and well-being.
Mars Petcare has more than 40,000 Associates worldwide. www.mars-petcare.com
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