Three quarters of people feel they have a stronger bond with their pet than their partner, new research shows

After a hard day, would you rather cuddle your horse or your other half? According to latest research from welfare charity Brooke, the majority of us would prefer one from our pets. Do you agree?

New figures from animal welfare charity Brooke have revealed that three quarters of people agree they have a closer bond with their pet than people in their family. In addition, 78% agree their pets provide more emotional support than friends and family. When seeking comfort, 3 in 5 say they sometimes prefer a cuddle from their pet than their partner.

When it comes to what we love most about our pets, 56% say they love how their pet is always there for them. 50% love that they’re good at cuddling and provide emotional support. 4 in 10 people appreciate that their pet knows when they’re sad and a third like that having a pet teaches both compassion and empathy.

Over a quarter (28%) have turned down plans with family and friends so they could stay home with their pet. A further 16% declined a big event such as wedding, funeral or birthday to stay at home with their pet. A fifth of people say the bond is stronger between themselves and their pet than their partner, and 4 in 10 say it is the same.

The last couple of years have been undoubtedly difficult for many – from Covid to the cost-of-living crisis now. People are seeking comfort from many different sources, unsurprisingly a big one being their pets.

For the better

While it’s clear the bond between animal lovers and their pets is strong in the UK, animals are struggling all over the world. In particular, the recent floods in Pakistan hit people and their working horses, donkeys and mules, hard. Pakistan has over six million working horses, donkeys and mules providing support to an estimated 36 million people.

They’re mostly used for transportation of people and goods, and some are used in brick kilns, coalmines and agriculture. In the floods they helped farmers evacuate overnight as flood warnings were announced and were used in the aftermath to access areas that had been cut off when roads were destroyed.

While Brooke Pakistan usually focuses on training in animal welfare for owners, they’ve now had to move into emergency response work. The main issues faced by animals and their owners are lack of access to clean drinking water and food, as well as shade and shelters.

Thanks to Brooke supporters in the UK, Brooke Pakistan has now helped 11,077 horses, donkeys and mules, out of which 6,990 were provided treatment and 10,141 were given bags of feed so far. They’ve also provided human food rations for 3,064 equine owners.

For more information about Brooke and the work the charity carries out, or to donate, visit thebrooke.org