Professor Carri Westgarth from the Department of Livestock and One Health has received a research grant from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) to examine the impact of adopting small animals on pet owner wellbeing.
As part of their research, Professor Westgarth, Dr Helen Clough, and their team will produce surveys to find out how the owner’s mental and physical wellbeing changes after adopting small animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, rats and mice as pets. The study will also include conducting in-depth interviews with the owners to understand further how the human-animal bond shapes our wellbeing.
Professor Carri Westgarth said: “Our research will help uncover the impact of owning small furry pets and the experiences people have adopting them from shelters, which we hope will help shelters guide and support successful small pet adoptions.”
HABRI is a not-for-profit organisation that helps fund innovative scientific research to document the health benefits of companion animals.