Your Dog Might Make You as Happy as Your Spouse, Says Research

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If you’ve ever felt like your cat or dog is more than just a pet—maybe even like a best friend or family member—you’re not alone. And now, science is backing you up.

According to a new study published in Social Indicators Research, having a furry companion could boost your overall wellbeing just as much as being married or regularly spending time with friends and family. That’s no small claim—the researchers estimate the emotional value of pet ownership to be worth up to £70,000 ($90,000) a year in life satisfaction.

The study’s co-author, Professor Adelina Gschwandtner from the University of Kent, said even she was taken aback by the results.

“At first I was surprised; that’s a lot of money—even for me, and I love pets!” she told CNN.

But then it made sense. Many pet owners say their animals are like family. Unlike human loved ones, pets are often a constant presence. “You have your pet every day,” Gschwandtner noted. “So why shouldn’t that count as meaningful emotional support?”

Rather than just saying pet owners are happier and calling it a day, the research team dug deeper to prove a causal link between pets and increased life satisfaction.

They used a method called an instrumental variables approach—a complex statistical tool that helps isolate the effect of pet ownership by accounting for other possible explanations. For instance, maybe happier people are more likely to get pets, not the other way around. To control for this, the team used long-term survey data from 2,500 British households, including personality profiles and life satisfaction ratings.

If pets genuinely boost mental wellbeing to this degree, Gschwandtner believes it should be easier for people to own them—especially renters who are often restricted by housing rules. “Policies could do more to support pet ownership,” she said.

Still, not everyone in the scientific community is ready to treat pets as human substitutes. Dr. Megan Mueller, an expert in human-animal relationships at Tufts University, wasn’t involved in the study but offered a note of caution.

“It’s a little more complex than people think,” she said. “While pets do offer emotional and social support, they’re not the same as humans.”

Mueller emphasized the risk of anthropomorphizing animals—treating them like people—which can blur the line between real emotional support and imagined connections.

Whether you’re a lifelong dog person or a proud cat parent, this study adds weight to what many already know in their hearts: pets make life better. They may not replace people, but they can offer comfort, companionship, and a surprising boost to your emotional wellbeing.

And in an increasingly disconnected world, that’s no small thing.