Sam Houston State University
Companion Animals in Modern Life
Keith Jahn
AGRI 2360 Animals and Society
Leanne Wiley
29 October 2013
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Introduction
In today’s world, animals play a very large role in the lives of most people, especially
Americans. It is unlikely that an individual will not come into contact with animals in normal
day to day life; they are everywhere. Animals are used for service, sport, recreation, and of
course, they are a food source for the majority of Americans. While the majority of people in this
country are not regularly involved in zoos or rodeos, and an even smaller percentage of
Americans can say that they have visited a farm or ranch, there is one category of animal that the
vast majority of people can relate to: companion animals.
Studies show that over 60% of Americans own some kind of pet, and when added to the
number of people that do not own a pet but regularly come into contact with someone else’s pet,
the percentage grows even higher (APPA). Due to the immense popularity of companion
animals, and the sheer number of these animals owned in the U.S., companion animal ownership
has become a topic of debate. With so many companion animals out there it isn’t surprising that
both benefits and problems have been observed.
Figure 1.
The Pros
Evidence of humans domesticating and keeping animals as pets can be traced back to as
early as 10000 BC (Express). Since that time, a number of perceived benefits have been
observed, and the popularity of companion animals continues to grow. In addition to the obvious
benefits of keeping a companion animal (companionship, entertainment, etc.), there are more
advantages than people generally think about. Observation and scientific study has shown that
animal ownership is associated with a range of physical, psychological, and social health
advantages.
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They physical benefits of owning a pet are
simple, and directly related to the amount of activity
in which an owner participates with his or her pet.
Owners whose pets require daily exercise are likely to
gain from this need of their pet. For instance, walking
or running with a dog benefits both owner and animal.
Figure 2.
While the physical benefits are simple and easy to observe, the wide range of
psychological effects of pet ownership are more complex, yet just as beneficial. Animals have
been used in therapy for over 200 years, and today, the number of animals used in treatment
continues to grow (Behling 109). Studies have shown that both scheduled and unscheduled
interaction with animals is beneficial to the institutionalized elderly. Animal visits and programs
in long term care facilities for the elderly have shown to improve the overall morale within the
facilities, for both residents and staff. In addition to programs within care facilities, research has
shown that animal interaction in the homes of elderly people living alone provides a level of
companionship that can prevent depression.
In addition to the therapeutic benefit to the elderly,
animals are regularly used in clinical situations with young
patients having conditions such as autism. In clinical
settings, children with autism are often distressed, and the
presence of a companion animal in the patient room has
been found to reduce procedure-induced anxiety in patients
(Bradley 4). Animal therapy is also used outside of the
clinical setting to benefit those with autism. Such therapy
helps children with autism become more physically
developed and improve their strength, coordination, and
physical abilities. Studies have also shown that the
presence of companion animals benefits cognitive and
language development in all children (Risley-Curtiss 38).
Figure 3.
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The Cons
With so many Americans owning pets, and with so many animals in the country, some
prominent issues have become apparent. Pet owners must carry out their responsibilities
correctly by feeding the animals under their care with proper food, exercising them and
guaranteeing they get medical treatment as well as the essential annual vaccinations. While the
majority of pet owners are responsible in taking care of their pets, others are not. This is where
the problems arise. Many owners find that they can no longer properly care for their pets, so they
release them into cities and into the wild. An estimated 5 to 7 million companion animals enter
animal shelters nationwide every year, and 3 to 4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year
due to shelters being too full and a lack adoptive homes.
To make matters worse, the majority of these stray
animals aren’t spayed or neutered, and their
numbers continue to rise. To combat the rising
number of stray animals on the street, organizations
across the country urge pet owners to get their
animals fixed. Also contributing to the problem of
stray animals is the fact that few people are
interested in adopting animals, and would rather
purchase a young animal from a breeder or pet
store. With very few of these animals getting taken
off the street, and even fewer of these animals
getting adopted, the problem of stray pets is
continually getting worse.
Figure 4.
The Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States, or HSUS, is an organization that stands to
correct the problem of strays animals, as well as other issues surrounding companion animals.
While the HSUS is not against the idea of companion animals, they campaign heavily on animal
spay and neutering as well as pet adoption campaigns. The HSUS’s animal rescue program gets
stray animals off the street, gets them rehabilitated, and puts those animals up for adoption. Due
to the vast numbers of animals available for adoption, the HSUS is against purchasing animals at
pet stores. As well as stray rescue, the HSUS has programs that rescue animals after natural
disasters all across the country. In addition to their adoption campaigns, HSUS fights to stop the
production of animals in “puppy mills”, which only make the stray animal situation worse.
Puppy mills are large-scale commercial breeding facilities that often neglect the essential health
and welfare of the dogs in their care. It is estimated that at least 10,000 “puppy mills” are active
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in the United States. The Humane Society tries to stop the mass breeding of pets in these mills,
which in many cases, the animals coming from these operations are very ill when they reach pet
stores. Another main objective of the Humane Society is stopping acts of animal cruelty such as
dogfighting. Recently, in March of 2013, the HSUS participated in a dogfighting bust in
Mississippi that led to the rescue of 20 dogs and arrest of numerous alleged dogfighters (HSUS).
The Law
With so many animals in the
country, there are a many laws that
regulate just about every aspect of
companion animal ownership.
From purchase and sale, to care
and breeding, state and national
law set guidelines that owners must
follow. Perhaps some of the most
important laws in place are the
ones to combat
the severe issues surrounding
Figure 5.
companion animals. Many states have put laws into effect to combat the rising stray population.
Several states have created laws that put strict regulations on “puppy mills” by forcing breeders
who sell or exchange 20 or more animals yearly to obtain a breeding license and undergo yearly
inspection. Not only will these types of laws discourage average Americans from breeding large
amounts of pets, having breeders submit to inspections will help reduce situations of animal
cruelty and neglect in large scale breeding operations. Also, several states have created laws that
require pet stores to post certain information about their puppies’ origins on each of their cages.
This type of law is designed to give consumers more information about where the dogs were
raised, and help them avoid buying puppies from “puppy mills” (HSUS).
Although it has seen significant decline in recent years, dogfighting is one problem that
lawmakers hope to eliminate with strict laws and regulations. In most states it is a felony to own,
possess, train, transport or sell any dog for the intention of fighting. Areas with more instances of
dogfighting are stepping up their laws to combat this issue. Georgia recently updated its
dogfighting law, which sets a penalty of one to five years in prison or a minimum fine of $5,000
for first offenders, making it one of the strongest in the nation (Georgia).
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News
Promising signs that conditions and issues surrounding companion animals are getting
better can be found in news stories across the nation. Bringing issues and violations to the
knowledge of the public is perhaps the best way to combat violations on a large scale (Tiplady).
Recently, and undercover investigation
proved that nine out of the 12 pets stores
in Maryland that sell puppies were found
to be violating a Maryland law that
requires stores to post background
information about puppies’ origins on the
cage of each animal. This law has been in
affect for over a year, and is designed to
protect buyers from purchasing an animal
raised in a puppy mill that may be
neglected and in poor health. In one of
the stores violating the law, investigators
found that not only was the
documentation law being
broken, some of the puppies were so ill
and underweight that law enforcement was contacted immediately (HSUS). A large majority of
the public simply doesn’t know laws like this one are being broken, because they don’t know
they exist. Articles in the media like this one help spread the word and warn potential buyers for
what to look for.
Figure 6.
Conclusion
It is easy to see that most of Americans love animals. With so many pet owners out there,
companion animals have become a part of normal American life. But, like anything else good,
companion animals can be abused and neglected, and problems arise. Thanks to responsible pet
owners, organizations like the HSUS, law enforcement, legislature, and the media, these
problems that surround companion animals will continue to decline, conditions will improve, and
the list of downsides to companion animal ownership will continue to shrink.
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Works Cited
“A Secret History of Pets: Why humans have kept animals as pets since ancient times”. Express. N.p. 25
July 2013. Web. 28 October 2013.
Behling, Robert J., James Haefner, and Michael Stowe. "Animal Programs And Animal Assisted Therapy
In Illinois Long-Term Care Facilities Twenty Years Later (1990-2010)." Academy Of Health
Care Management Journal 7.2 (2011): 109-117. Business Source Complete. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
"Georgia dog fighting law gets harder bite.(Sonny Perdue revised and signed dog-fighting law)(Brief
article)." American City & County 2008: Academic OneFile. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
Iannacone, Stephen. "Felony Animal Cruelty Laws In New York." Pace Law Review 31.2 (2011): 748770. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
“Majority of Maryland Puppy-Selling Stores Found Violating Consumer Disclosure Law”. The Humane
Society of the United States. N.p. 14 October 2013. Web. 28 October 2013.
Pavlides, Merope. Animal-Assisted Interventions For Individuals With Autism. London: Jessica Kingsley
Publishers, 2008. eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
Risley-Curtiss, C. (2010). Social Work Practitioners and the Human--Companion Animal Bond: A
National Study. Social Work, 55(1), 38-46.
Smith, Bradley. "The 'Pet Effect': Health Related Aspects Of Companion Animal Ownership." Australian
Family Physician 41.6 (2012): 439. Informit Health Collection. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
Tiplady, Catherine. Walsh, Deborah-Anne. Phillips, Clive. “Public Response to Media Coverage of
Animal Cruelty”. Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Ethics. Aug 2013, Vol. 26 Issue 4,
p869-885. 17p. Web. 28 October 2013.
“2013 Accomplishments”. The Humane Society of the United States. N.p. 12 April 2013. Web. 28
October 2013.
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Figures
1. Pet Ownership as a Percentage of the U.S. Population – 2012. 2012. American Pet
Products Association. Graph. Web. 28 October 2013.
2. “Woman Running With Dog”. 2012. Trupanion Pet Insurance. JPEG. Web. 28 October
2013.
3. “Animal assisted therapy”. 2010. The Denver Post. JPEG. Web. 28 October 2013.
4. “Help Stray Dogs”. 2012. Paintings for Paws. JPEG. Web. 28 October 2013.
5. “Puppy 1” 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Advocacy for Animals. JPEG. Web. 28
October 2013.
6. “Animal Control”. 2013. Missouri Injury Attorneys Blog. JPEG. Web. 28 October 2013.
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