Ethnic Variations in Pet Attachment among Students at an American School of Veterinary Medicine

Sue-Ellen Brown [1]

This study explores ethnic variations in animal companion (“pet”) attachment among 133 students in a school of veterinary medicine. The 57 White and 76 African American participants completed surveys that included background information, questions about their pets, and a pet attachment questionnaire (PAQ).

More White students owned pets than did African American students (100% vs. 86%, p<.05). White students also had significantly more pets (M = 4.05 vs. 2.18, p<.001) and more kinds of pets (M = 2.30 vs. 1.57, p<.001) and were more likely to allow pets to sleep on their beds (70% vs. 53%, p<.05). More Whites had pets sleeping in their bedrooms (86% vs. 78%, not significant). In addition, the Whites’ average PAQ score was 17, while African Americans averaged 14.01 (p< .001). Significant differences were found on PAQ questions about agreeing that no family is complete without a pet, having feelings affected by how people react to your pet, taking pets to visit friends and relatives, and keeping a picture of your pet in your wallet or on display in your home or office.

Although keeping pets is a universal cultural phenomenon, how that attachment is expressed may vary from culture to culture. Socio-economic status, housing differences, and urban-rural background may be significant factors not measured by this study. If, as the ever-increasing body of literature tends to demonstrate, relationships with animal companions have health-enhancing effects for people, then an understanding of the differences among cultures that either enhance or inhibit such effects would be essential. This would be a vital step toward empowering all cultures to receive the simple, yet powerful, benefits of relationships with animals. Furthermore, understanding more about each one’s own cultural views, attitudes, and values of animals would help create a more compassionate world for all living beings, that is, people and animals alike.

* Sue-Ellen Brown, Tuskegee University

[1] Correspondence should be sent to Sue-Ellen Brown, Center for the Study of Human-Animal Interdependent Relationships, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL 36088.

For Abstracts of all issues, including the most current, click Article Abstracts

To order Society & Animals Journal, go to our secure online ordering page

You can Search the online issues of Society & Animals, as well as the entire Society & Animals Forum (formerly PSYETA) website,
for topics and keywords of your interest: