While making friends is not always easy, new research shows that pet ownership can improve the likelihood of forming new relationships, especially in neighbourhoods.

An international study, conducted by The University of Western Australia in collaboration with the WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition (UK) has revealed the important role pets can play in helping humans build social relationships and support networks.

Among the key findings were that pet owners are more likely to meet people in their neighbourhoods than non-pet owners. Around a quarter of those who met people through their pet said that this resulted in at least one new friendship rather than a mere acquaintance.

Dog owners in particular were found to be five times more likely to get to know people in their neighbourhoods compared with other pet owners, with dog walking being one of the top five ways for people to meet others. The study also showed that people got to know others in their neighbourhoods through pets more often than through children’s schools or community events.

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These findings were published in the April 2015 edition of the peer-reviewed scientific publication, PLOS ONE. The study involved a telephone based survey of over 2500 randomly selected adults aged 18 and over from four cities, including: Perth (Australia); San Diego, CA; Portland, OR; and, Nashville, TN (US). To learn more, read the full article here.