Understanding the need
Canine
Therapy
Research has shown
Therapy dogs can reduce stress and provide a sense of connection in difficult situations
Mental health professionals
Use complementary pet therapies and prescribe emotional support animals under the law
Therapy dogs can
Help reduce the effects of anxiety, agitation, irritability, depression, and loneliness
Emotional Support Animal (ESA)
Through canine companionship and can help ease anxiety, depression, and many phobias
Animal-assisted therapy
Has been shown to reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients as well as anxiety in hospitalized patients
Schools and Universities
Are increasingly adopting therapy dog programs as an inexpensive way of providing social and emotional support for students
74% of pet owners
Say their mental health improved because of their animals
81.8% of children
With Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) prefer to play with animals over toys
$85 Million
U.S. households with pets enjoying the benefits of the human-animal bond
$11.7 Billion
Estimated health care cost savings of pet ownership
$3 Million
Funded in innovative human-animal bond research projects
The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) is a non-profit research and education organization that is gathering, funding, and sharing scientific research to demonstrate the positive health impacts of companion animals.
The human-animal bond is a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both. This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment.
HABRI has undertaken and summarized the latest scientific findings on the mental health benefits of the human-animal bond to raise awareness for people who may benefit directly from animal companionship or animal-assisted therapy.
Recent research exploring the benefits of pets and human-animal interaction for mental health has uncovered new benefits for stress, depression, post-traumatic stress and for managing mental health.
Now, thanks to studies like those being conducted by habri, we have peer-reviewed scientific evidence that demonstrates what many of us have known anecdotally for a long time: animals are good for us!