Animal welfare is more than just an ethical concern; it plays a critical role in promoting public health and strengthening communities. When animals are treated humanely, the benefits ripple through society, affecting everything from disease prevention to community resilience. This article explores how prioritizing animal welfare positively impacts public health and fosters stronger, more connected communities.

How Good Animal Welfare Enhances Public Health

Supporting Mental Health and Well-Being

The mental health benefits of interacting with well-cared-for animals are well-documented. Pets, for example, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression in their owners, leading to improved overall well-being. In seniors, they can also help to prevent or mitigate isolation. Healthy, well-loved pets are also more likely to live longer, deepening the human-animal bond and contributing to a sense of accomplishment for pet owners. This creates a symbiotic relationship that benefits both parties.

Watching funny pet videos on social media or a streaming service is also a great way to relieve stress and achieve a more lighthearted mood, especially after a rough day or week.

Alternatively, seeing successful pet rescue stories in the news, social media, and animal-related TV shows can also boost production of serotonin and dopamine (feel-good hormones). It can even help people build a more positive outlook on life.

How Treating Animals Humanely Strengthens Communities

Fostering Social Connections

Animals often serve as social catalysts, bringing people together. Here are some examples:

• Community events. Community-based pet welfare initiatives, such as pet adoption events, fundraisers, and festivals, create opportunities for people to connect and collaborate. These programs not only teach communities about the importance of animal welfare but also unite them by fostering a sense of shared responsibility and cooperation.

• Pet walks. Naturally, dogs need at least one walk every day, and some cats enjoy going for walks too! Walking your pet is a great way to meet and greet your neighbors and community members and build friendly connections over time. In a world where most of us are constantly glued to computer and mobile device screens, it also keeps you more in touch with what’s happening in your community.

• Pet-friendly locations. Visiting a pet-friendly cafe, brewery, restaurant, or hotel with your family-member-by-choice often attracts the eye of other people and pet owners, and it naturally sparks conversation. Just one funny, friendly, or otherwise positive interaction with another pet lover can be enough to make the day for both of you — and if you’re a regular, it can even lead to new social connections.

• Pets at work. In an era where more people work from home on a regular basis, having your furry friend make an appearance in your virtual meeting — or watching someone else’s pop up on screen — lends itself to more authentic human interactions and relationships. Research indicates that pet-friendly workplaces as a whole have great potential for reducing employee stress and even improving creativity and productivity.

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Encouraging Responsible Pet Ownership and Empathy

Promoting good animal welfare encourages responsible pet ownership, which has far-reaching benefits for communities. When pet owners are educated about the importance of regular veterinary care, proper nutrition, and responsible breeding practices, it leads to healthier pet populations. This, in turn, reduces the strain on local animal shelters.

Additionally, responsible pet owners who are parents also positively influence the perspectives and behaviors of their children. Teaching kids how to properly care for animals not only helps to ensure good animal welfare in future generations but instills a general sense of empathy, civil duty, and self-discipline in children. This translates to caring for and serving people as well as animals, which can do endless good in communities.

Good animal welfare is essential for good public health and the overall physical, mental, and social wellness of communities. The more we work together to promote animal well-being, the stronger we can make society as a whole.

Support Animal Welfare and Public Health with the FACE Foundation

Established in 2006 by a group of veterinarians and concerned community members, the Foundation for Animal Care and Education (FACE) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) public charity that provides financial grants for animal owners who are unable to afford the cost of their pet’s emergency or critical care.

Each year, many animals are brought to their veterinarian with life-threatening conditions. Sadly, many owners — especially those facing high costs of living in cities such as San Diego — cannot afford the critical care their beloved pets need to survive. They are left with one choice: euthanasia. As a result, thousands of treatable pets are euthanized in veterinary hospitals annually. This can be traumatic for their owners, deeply demoralizing for their veterinarians, and detrimental to animal welfare and community health as a whole.

FACE’s Save-A-Life Program was created to address the tragedy of economic euthanasia. FACE grantees are typically low-income families, senior citizens, veterans, military families, students, people with disabilities, or hard-working families and individuals who struggle to survive from paycheck to paycheck. If you need help paying for veterinary care that could save your pet from economic euthanasia, apply for assistance today.

FACE’s work is as important for the animals we save and the mental health of the veterinarians who treat them as it is for the families spared the heartbreak of losing their best friend. Your tax-deductible donation funds life-saving veterinary care for beloved family pets. Give today!