Why do people want pets?

         Pets.  We see them everywhere, we hear people talking about their new puppy or old dog, and our emotions go out to the sad animal on the side of the road, but why?  What is the reasoning behind so many people in this county being pet owners?  What is our emotional draw toward animals?  What benefits do we actually get from our pets?  In this blog that is the question that I am going to try to answer.  I myself have always had pet dogs and cats growing up and have always felt some kind of connection between myself and animals, but why?  It is definitely a unique quality that only humans share; we don’t see any other species with pets.

             Looking back through history animals didn’t start out as pets.  Instead, humans used animals for the specific services they could provide.  Cats killed mice, rats and other disease spreading vermin; dogs were found to be effective hunting partners, offered protection to humans, and were trained to help humans herd and manage livestock; and horses were used as transportation and to plow fields.  Horses, dogs, and even pigeons have been used to serve humans during wartime, often essential wartime assets.  Animals are still used today for many of these purposes, but many more are merely kept as pets.

            According to animalfreedom.org, the most common reasons for keeping pets are: company, socializing, status, something to do, and their beauty (“Why Do People Want Pets”).  Many people use pets to substitute relationships with other humans.  The animal serves people’s need to cherish, love and fight boredom.  But this is a distressing reason for keeping a pet; the animal is a replacement for normal human contact for whatever reason.  Pets are also used to make socializing with others easier.  People are more inclined to strike up a conversation with others when they can focus their attention on the animal in a silent moment.  Pets give status.  Often people will pick animals that reflect an attitude they are trying to portray such as dangerous or dainty.  Pets are also used to simply prevent its owner’s self-boredom.  Many pets require a lot of attention and give their owners a way to pass the time.  Finally, people find animals attractive.  No matter what the animal’s physical appearance, someone will always find them interesting and desirable. 

            There are multiple studies that counteract one another on the benefits of animals such as reducing blood pressure, lowering stress levels, and increasing one’s life.  In my research I found studies which both proved and disproved these ideas.  The bottom line seems to be that animals were brought into our lives out of our actual working need for them and we haven’t been able to let go since.  There are many people and organizations on both sides of issue whether we are being selfish by having animals or if it is beneficial to both.  Wherever you stand on the issue, animals should be respected and treated humanely. 

Works Cited

“Why Do People Want Pets?” AnimalFreedom.org Web. 12 May. 2011