abstract: A range of health benefits have been claimed to result from pet ownership. This American pilot study focused on the attitudes of older members (age range 50 to 83 years) of the Latino community. All 24 participants owned a dog, while 13 also owned a cat, three owned a bird, and one owned a rodent. The researchers, who were bilingual (English-Spanish), conducted telephone interviews with the pet owners, using existing instruments including the Pet Relationship Scale, the Pet Attitude Inventory, the Iowa Self Assessment Inventory and the Self-Perceived Health Questionnaire. The results indicated that the pet owners saw their dogs as valuable companions, and their care provided a key daily activity. The respondents felt that their health status compared favourably with other people in their age cohort, but there was no data available from a control group.