Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to explore the role of animals as sources of emotional and physical support during a period when most of the population is experiencing social and environmental challenges. We investigated how companion animal owners perceive the influence of human-animal interaction on their physical and mental health during the first Covid-19 lockdown phase in the UK, and which concerns they may have regarding their animals at this time. We also explored the impact of participants’ interaction with non-companion animals during this phase. A cross-sectional online survey of UK residents aged over 18 was conducted between April and June 2020. The final item of the survey invited open-ended free-text responses, allowing participants to describe any experiences and/or perceptions of their human-animal relationships during the Covid-19 lockdown phase. A qualitative thematic analysis of responses was undertaken. Four main themes related to the following aspects of human-animal interaction during the Covid-19 lockdown phase were identified: positive impact of animal ownership during Covid-19 (e.g. amelioration of wellbeing and mental health); concerns relating to animal ownership during Covid-19 (e.g. concerns over animals carrying the Covid-19 virus); grief and loss of an animal during Covid-19; and impact of engaging with non-companion animals during Covid-19. The findings complement and extend previous insights into the impact of human-animal interaction with both companion and non-companion animals. They also highlight the challenges of caring for an animal during the lockdown phase and indicate the need to consider the development of further targeted support strategies, such as ‘day care’ for companion animal of key workers, in this context.