Sub Page: Cross Cultural Research

A quick look at cross cultural comparisons

While relationships with pets and other animal companions have been shown to have heath enhancing effects on people, research has also found a number of complex factors influences these benefits. There has been little research on the relationship with ethnic diversity and how this effects relationships with animals. One study to look at this relationships however is that by Risley-Curtiss, Holley and Wolf, who explored the relationships between race, ethnicity, beliefs about companion animals and ownership practices (2006).

Findings indicated no statistical differences by ethnicity but those identifying as Hispanic or Spanish were less likely to own a cat, as well as agreeing they felt more of a sense of personal security from their pet (Risley-Curtiss et al., 2006). What does this mean? Simply that the benefits of pet ownership and animals companions is not likely to be restricted to any one ethnicity or culture, pets are a worldwide beneficial relationship.