Pets build social capital.

Pets build social capital. A recent research shows that having an animal companion can increase higher social capital. A cross-national study involving Perth, Australia, and three US cities has lent weight to the observation that pets help build social capital. A study to look at the relationship between pets and social capital, pet owners and non-owners were randomly surveyed in four cities (Perth, San Diego, Portland and Nashville – four cities reasonably comparable in size, urban density and climate). In all four cities, we found owning a pet was significantly associated with higher social capital compared with not owning a pet. How do pets help build social bonds? It is often assumed that the social benefits of pets are confined to social interactions that occur when people are out walking their dogs. Lots of dog owner anecdotes support this. In this large sample study, however, levels of social capital were higher among pet owners across the board. more