Pet Comics Vol. 6: The Man (Dog) with 100 Nicknames

Ever had this happen?

These days, more dogs are kept indoors, right?
Opportunities like in the old days, where a dog kept in the yard would become friends with neighborhood kids without anyone noticing... might be rare now.

But I think the phenomenon of "getting to know each other without realizing it" still happens a lot.
When walking with a pet, you have far more chances to exchange words with people than when walking alone, right?

As you might see in manga, you might find your pet has been given a name you didn't even know about... If you have a pet, you might have experienced something like this.

It's often said that pets help activate communication within a community.
Researchers from the University of Western Australia and Harvard University conducted a study exploring the question: "Does pet ownership support relationship formation with others in the community?"

The results showed that 59% of pet owners had met someone new through their pet. The study involved 2,692 participants living in Perth, Australia, and San Diego, Portland, and Nashville in the US. While it included owners of cats, fish, and birds as well as dogs, dog owners reported five times as many new encounters compared to owners of other animals.

Owning a pet expands your social circle and community. Anyone who has ever owned a pet probably understands this feeling.
However, there are still many things that need to be improved and cherished, such as preparing the environment for keeping pets and the mindset of pet owners.

 

(Column: Rei Nagi / Manga: Erika Sudo)