Max! Millie! How four-legged friends can ‘heel’ military veterans

Dogs are the bounding balls of energy that greet us at the door, and the beloved companions that curl up with us at night, yet for many military veterans, they’re also a vital support, helping manage their everyday wellbeing and promote positive mental health.

Yet it’s not always trained assistance dogs that fit the bill. In a study from the University of South Australia and University of Adelaide, researchers show that perfectly ‘pawsome’ everyday dogs can also provide veterans with much needed comfort and support.

It’s an important finding as we acknowledge Remembrance Day today, to honour those who died or suffered for Australia's causes in all wars and armed conflicts.

Exploring connections between an owner’s attachment to their pet, their mental health, and perceived costs of pet ownership, researchers found that pets play a crucial yet complex role in wellbeing.

Surveying almost 1000 military veterans across Australia, researchers found that:
 

• Dogs really are the ‘top dog’ for support: 86% of veterans own a dog (with cats trailing behind at 35%). Dogs are clearly the most favoured pet among Aussie veterans.
   
• Dogs are a furry friend in ‘ruff’ times: veterans have a strong emotional attachment to their pets. They also have poor mental health, higher levels of loneliness and social isolation.
   
• Pet costs are ‘less bark, more bite’: veterans who felt closer to their pets were less likely to see vet bills and other associated costs as a burden.

Mental health is a massive concern among military veterans. Ex-serving males and females are more likely to die by suicide than the general Australian population (Males 26% higher, females 107% higher). Additionally, a study in recent years shared that 46% of military veterans experienced a mental disorder within five years of leaving service.

UniSA researcher and pet expert Dr Janette Young says understanding the benefits of pets to military veterans is important, particularly given the costs and limitations around a trained assistance animal.

“Transitioning from active service into the general population is considered one of the most stressful times in a serviceperson’s life,” Dr Young says.

“Highly trained assistance animals are an increasing phenomenon among veterans, with research showing that they are particularly beneficial for mental health. Yet training service dogs, for example, is very resource intensive, both in terms of time and funding.

“Cost-wise, it’s about $70 000 to train an assistance dog; time-wise – both waiting and training times equates to about two to three years. And another consideration is the working life of an assistance dog, which is generally between eight and 11 years.

“For veterans, timing is crucial for mental health. That’s why we’ve been investigating alternatives.

“Understanding how an untrained, privately-owned, privately funded pet animal can affect veteran health and wellbeing is an under-researched area.

“In our research, veterans who owned pets were highly attached to their furry friends. But higher levels of attachment were also associated with poorer mental health. This is the opposite to what we expected, but in a survey like this we cannot say being more attached to their pet led to worse mental health.

“In fact, veterans’ comments revealed a different story: that their pets were the reason to get up in the morning. So, it’s possible that veterans with worse mental health to begin with, are more attached to their pets, and their pets are a critical support for them.

“While further research is needed to establish causation, this research shows scope to financially support veterans with their pets, as this may improve the mental wellbeing of their owners.

“Such support could reduce finance-related stress, while supporting what for many veterans is a powerful mental health facilitator: their beloved pets.”

Notes for editors:

The authors note that this is not about replacing trained animals when they are specifically needed. The research team also includes University of Adelaide PhD researcher Joshua Zoanetti and Associate Professor Susan Hazel.
 

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Contact for interview:  Dr Janette Young E: Janette.Young@unisa.edu.au
Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au