Comparison of strength of the human-animal bond between Hispanic and non-Hispanic owners of pet dogs and cats.
OBJECTIVE
To assess differences in strength of the human-animal bond between Hispanic and non-Hispanic owners and determine whether these variations were associated with differences in medical care for pets.


METHODS
Survey.


METHODS
419 pet owners presenting a dog or cat for veterinary services at private veterinary clinics in Aurora, Colo; Chula Vista, Calif; and Mexico City. Procedures-Owner and pet demographic information was obtained via open-ended interview questions. The human-animal bond was assessed through the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale. Pet health data were obtained from medical records for the specific visit observed, and a body condition score was assigned.


RESULTS
Hispanics were more likely to own sexually intact dogs and cats as pets than were individuals of other race-ethnicity groups. Overall, owners were most likely to classify their pets as providing companionship. When data for the 2 US locations were examined separately, no significant difference existed between how non-Hispanic White and Hispanic owners viewed their pets, and scores for the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale did not differ significantly among race-ethnicity groups.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a strong human-animal bond among Hispanic respondents, and Hispanic pet owners in the United States and Mexico verbalized this attachment in similar ways to non-Hispanic White owners. There was no observed association between owner race-ethnicity and strength of the human-animal bond for Hispanic and non-Hispanic White pet owners in the United States. Thus, other factors must be considered to explain the observed difference in percentages of neutered animals between groups.
Schoenfeld-Tacher
Regina
R
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. Regina-Schoenfeld@colostate.edu
Kogan
Lori R
LR
Wright
Mary L
ML
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D002415:Cats; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D014481:United States