Published on Dog Behaviour Journal our scientific article “The benefits of dog ownership on people as an undervalued resource in urban environments”

Published in the Dog Behaviour Journal, Vol. 8, No. 3 (2022) the scientific article by the University of Pisa “The benefits of dog ownership on people as an undervalued resource in urban environments”, is a scientific publication from the IN-HABIT project. The article reviews and discusses studies assessing the human-animal bond (HAB) as an innovative resource to enhance people’s health and wellbeing. The literature search was conducted in June-September 2021, and the 51 reviewed articles were selected through a four-step screening process.

Written by Carmen Borrelli, Giulia Granai, Francesco Paolo Di Iacovo, Giacomo Riggio, Roberta Moruzzo, Francesco Riccioli, Carlo Bibbiani, Angelo Gazzano, Chiara Mariti from the Departement of Veterinary, and Massimo Rovai from the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering, this scoping review summarizes the literature on the beneficial effects of dog ownership. It also introduces the IN-HABIT project as a means to promote the integration of pets into society through the implementation of adequate pet policies based on multidisciplinary approaches namely “One health”.

According to the studies, some of the positive effects of having a dog includes improvements in cardiovascular activity, blood pressure, and overall physical activities levels, as well as mental health benefits, such as reduced depression and loneliness across various categories of people.

If interested, you can read it and download it here.