A recent study showed that dogs who had social companionship with humans and animals has a larger influence on healthy aging than family finances, household children and the pet parent’s age. Published in Evolution, Medicine and Public Health, the study surveyed human parents of more than 21,000 dogs to reach this conclusion.
Source: The Washington Post, August 15, 2023. Link. Dogs are considered our closest animal companions and share many aspects of our daily lives,” said Brianah McCoy, ASU doctoral student and co-author of the paper. “By studying how the social environment affects dog health, we can gain insights that may also be relevant to human health.”