Those who have never had a pet cannot understand what it feels like to have one. They cannot know the enormous joy of coming home and finding your furry friend expectantly waiting; or having your cat unexpectedly snuggle up next to you. They cannot even imagine the wonderful and unique bond that is created between a person and their pet, the level of understanding that is achieved, the complementarity, and the desire never to be separated.
Those of us who have pets know that life is better with animals. Animals make us better: more sensitive, more attentive, more responsible, more generous... They improve us in terms of human quality, but they also do us a lot of good internally.
For this reason, experts from around the world recently gathered in Brussels at the “1st Better With Pets European Forum,” organized by Purina, with the aim of giving pets the recognition they deserve for the role they play in society.
The general conclusion they reached (very obvious to any self-respecting aristopeter, of course) is that companion animals are much more than that. The emotional, psychological, and physical benefits that pets bring to our society have multiple scientific evidence: pets help in disease prevention, contribute to reducing stress and loneliness, and improve people's well-being and self-esteem.
But what about the lives of pets? Do we do as much for them as they do for us? The answers reached at the forum are not so optimistic in this regard.
Unfortunately, the situation of pets in the world is not as optimal as one might imagine (not all of them are lucky enough to have an aristopeter by their side). Social and economic changes in Europe are not encouraging. The increase in urban population, long working hours (very few companies allow pets in the office), the crisis, and above all the lack of recognition of the positive role of companion animals on people (they are barely covered in the media) constitute significant barriers to pet ownership in the future. As it is difficult to combine their care and attention with the demands of modern life. Proof of this, for example, is that animal obesity has increased in recent years. All of this inevitably affects animal ownership.
That is why it is so important to emphasize the benefits that animals have on people's health, but also the role that assistance animals play in various therapies and activities: dogs in hospitals, in schools, or in homes with dependent people. Likewise, pets can become an indispensable tool for the learning and physical and mental health of children and adults. As the moving case of the autistic girl and her cat Thula clearly demonstrates.
As we always say, there is still much to do. That is why forums like this are so important, as a result of which a list of commitments has been created to help create a world where people and pets can coexist better. Among the proposed actions are the promotion of responsible pet ownership, adoption campaigns, pet inclusion programs in public and private companies, and an effort to lead investments in research on companion animal health. No effort is too small to improve the conditions of our best friends in the world!