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Pets can open doors to connection, companionship, and comfort—but they do not guarantee belonging, improve every older adult’s well-being, or replace trauma-informed support. A dog walk may create repeated contact with neighbors; caring for an animal can provide routine and purpose in later life, alongside real costs; and for people experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), a pet may be a source of support as well as a safety concern that shapes plans to leave.
Can pets help people feel connected to their neighborhood?
Walking a dog can create a regular reason to be outside and to encounter the same neighbors. Brief greetings that recur over time may help people feel more familiar with their surroundings. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) described this possibility in a January 6, 2026 article, while noting that regular walks without a dog may offer a similar opportunity. That makes the walk a plausible setting for connection—not proof that owning a pet causes belonging. AAHA’s article also says its content is not an official position or endorsement of the association or its board.
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What the social benefit depends on
The useful ingredient may be repeated, low-pressure contact: walking at a familiar time or route, recognizing people, and having a natural opening for conversation. A dog can make that routine easier to establish for some people, but the same kind of repeated encounter can happen through a regular walk, local activity, or another routine. The evidence cited here does not establish that a dog is necessary or that every owner experiences stronger social ties.
Can pets improve retirement or help older adults feel less lonely?
For some older adults, an animal can offer companionship, daily structure, and a sense of purpose as work and household routines change. These are reported experiences, not guaranteed effects; research on older adults finds a mixed picture, with associations that differ by outcome and do not show that pet ownership caused them.
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What older adults report
The University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging reported in 2025 that 55% of adults age 50 and older had a pet, and 31% of older pet owners said having one strained their budget. In the poll’s comparison of adults age 50–80, 83% of pet owners in 2025 said their pet gave them a sense of purpose, compared with 73% in 2018. The 2025 shares reporting several other perceived benefits—including enjoying life, feeling loved, reduced stress, activity, routine, and help coping with symptoms—were lower than in 2018. The polls surveyed different respondents, so these figures do not show that pet ownership caused benefits to rise or fall. See the University of Michigan poll report.
Why the evidence is not a simple verdict
A 2018 analysis of the Health and Retirement Study reported that 51.5% of its 1,657-person older-adult subsample had a pet and found an association between pet ownership and a history of depression. That association does not establish that pets caused depression; people’s health and circumstances can influence whether they have a pet and how they feel. The study in BMC Public Health is one reason not to treat pet ownership as a mental-health intervention.
A 2024 cross-sectional study of 30,865 community-dwelling Canadians age 45 and older likewise found different associations across outcomes: animal companionship was associated with higher social support, but also lower life satisfaction and higher loneliness and depression. Because the study was observational, it cannot show that companionship produced those outcomes. Its results argue against assuming a uniform psychosocial benefit. Barrett and colleagues’ study in the Journal of Aging Studies describes the findings.
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Check whether the care fits
Before adopting an animal—or taking on more care—consider the animal’s needs alongside your health, housing, budget, and likely changes in circumstances. The University of Michigan report recommends accounting for time, flexibility, and resources, not just companionship.
- Daily care: Can you reliably manage feeding, walking, training, litter or other routine needs, including on difficult days?
- Health and mobility: Does the animal’s size and activity level fit your mobility and energy now, and are there realistic backup arrangements if that changes?
- Ongoing costs: Budget for food, medication, routine and unexpected veterinary care, and care during travel. The 2025 poll’s finding that 31% of older pet owners said a pet strained their budget shows that cost can be a real burden.
- Housing and backup care: Check whether your housing permits the animal and whether a trusted person can step in during illness, travel, or an emergency.
No species or type of pet is established as best for every older adult. If full-time ownership is not a good fit, consider whether a lower-commitment way to spend time with animals is available locally; availability and suitability depend on the person and location.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can pets affect an IPV survivor’s safety and healing?
A pet may offer comfort and emotional support to someone experiencing IPV, but concern for the animal’s safety can also complicate decisions to seek shelter or relocate. Research involving IPV survivors who owned pets or livestock describes threats or harm to animals, safekeeping concerns, and barriers to leaving and finding housing. It also discusses how an abusive partner may exploit the survivor’s bond with an animal. These findings are specific to the study’s sample and Saskatchewan/Canadian context, not a measure of what every survivor experiences.
In a 2025 evidence collection, Human Animal Support Services attributed two figures to a survey by the Urban Resource Institute and National Domestic Violence Hotline: 97% of respondents said keeping pets with them was important in deciding whether to seek shelter, and 91% said pets’ emotional support and physical protection were significant to their ability to survive and heal. These figures are reported through a secondary compilation, not the original survey report, and should not be read as population-wide estimates. The Human Animal Support Services evidence collection provides that attribution.
Plan around the individual situation
There is no single safe plan for every person or animal. A survivor who is weighing options should not be told simply to leave a pet behind or to follow a generic checklist. Where possible, confidential, local IPV support can help assess circumstances and identify options without assuming that any specific shelter or service is available. Useful questions to ask a local provider, if it is safe to do so, include:
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- Can the service accommodate this specific animal, or help arrange confidential temporary safekeeping?
- What geographic area does it cover, and is transport available?
- How long can the animal stay, and what happens when that period ends?
- Are pet-friendly transitional or longer-term housing options available?
- How will calls, messages, records, or arrangements be kept confidential?
These questions reflect barriers documented in survivor research; they do not identify a particular local provider or guarantee that an option exists. The study by Crystal J. Giesbrecht describes the need for training, pet-friendly domestic-violence shelters, and rental housing, but local availability must be confirmed directly and safely. Giesbrecht’s study addresses survivor experiences and animal safety.
Comfort is not the same as clinical treatment
Pets may be meaningful sources of comfort and support, but the evidence here does not establish that they heal trauma or replace professional, culturally appropriate survivor support. AAHA described a planned 18-month UCLA Fielding School of Public Health study funded by Purina, involving survivor interviews, informant insights, and a survey of about 1,000 California residents who had experienced IPV. That description concerns a study plan, not published results; its completion or results are not established here. AAHA’s January 2026 article provides the plan’s description.
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