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 The Context  What are pets anyway?  Pets have always been around  The ancient purposes of keeping pets  The modern purposes of keeping pets 2

 Poll: 1 in 3 women say pets listen better than husbands - USATODAY  Dogs and cats are better than kids because they: 1.Eat less. 2.Don't ask for money all the time. 3.Don't need a 'gazillion' dollars for college. 4.Don't have to get a baby sitter when you go out. 5.You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars for Christmas and birthdays. - petplace.com 3

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5 Total U.S. Pet Industry Expenditure in Billions

 First Study Participants  Demographics : A random sample of faculty  Age: 50.2 (average)  Gender: 95 Women, 207 Men  Marital Status: Typically Married  Dwelling: Metropolitan and its suburbs  Only a few from rural areas (Utilitarian purposes) 6

 The Poll Questions:  Do you view pets as a valuable piece of property?  Do you think pets should serve a useful function?  Would you be lonely without a pet?  Does your pet help you get through hard times?  Does you pet help you meet other people?  Does you pet keep you active?  Have you ever had to keep a pet for others?  (Poll Manager). 7

 Results  11% have never owned a pet  56% were current pet owners  Women cats more often than men  NO significant correlations with health, happiness or quality of work life  Most people believe that pets benefit health and well being 8

 The Gender Effect:  Women are more likely to keep pets for social support (getting through hard times, or would be lonely without them)  Men are more likely to keep pets for pragmatic reasons (keeping active, they serve a useful function, and/or keeping the pet for others) 9

Method  Participants  241 college students, average age ▪ Women 146, Men 88  102 community members, average age ▪ Women 60, Men 40 10

Results 11

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