Pets Could Boost Wellbeing as Much as Marriage, New Study Finds

Having a furry companion might be just as good for your mental health as having a spouse, according to new research highlighted by CNN’s Issy Ronald. The study, published in Social Indicators Research on March 31, 2025, found that the emotional boost from owning a pet could be worth around $90,000 a year in life satisfaction — similar to the benefits of being married or having close social ties.

Researchers Adelina Gschwandtner from the University of Kent and Michael Gmeiner from the London School of Economics used data from 2,500 British households to uncover this surprising connection. They used an advanced statistical method, called the instrumental variables approach, to show a causal link between pet ownership and higher wellbeing. Instead of simply noticing that pet owners seem happier, they controlled for factors like personality, making their findings much stronger.

“It could be that happy and healthy people decide to take a pet as a companion rather than pets making people happy and healthy,” Gschwandtner explained to CNN. By carefully filtering for this possibility, the study points to real mental health benefits from living with animals.

While some researchers, like Tufts University’s Megan Mueller, caution against treating pets exactly like humans, she agrees that animals provide essential emotional Support similar to what we receive from friends and family.

If pets truly boost our happiness this much, it’s another reason to Support policies that make it easier to adopt animals. As the world faces growing mental health challenges, it’s clear that animal companions can play a big role in creating happier, more compassionate communities.

If you’ve ever thought about adopting, now’s the perfect time! By giving a loving home to a rescue animal, you’re not just changing their life—you’re boosting your own happiness too. Let’s build a kinder, greener world, one adoption at a time.

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