Towards an Expanded Definition of Well-being: The Critical Role of Pets

Throughout the world, people consider pets to be a critical component of their well-being and an integral part of their families. Yet, generally accepted definitions of well-being do not typically consider humans’ relationships with pets. In this commentary, I discuss the growing body of research that indicates that pets are a critical component of the well-being of people, families, and communities throughout the lifespan. I provide a brief overview of research on pets and well-being, followed by discussions of the concept of the “multi-species” family and the growing role of pets in communities. Anthropocentric definitions and measurements of well-being fail to capture the full complexity of our more-than-human communities: recognizing the vital role of pets to human well-being is an important first step to opening up and expanding our human understanding. Based on this mounting evidence, I suggest that definitions and measurements of human well-being should be expanded to include the role and meaning of pets in our lives.