Paws for Thought: Reflecting on the Role of Pets in Our Lives

From loyal dogs and graceful cats to exotic birds and backyard chickens, our animal companions enrich our lives in countless ways—offering emotional support, increasing physical activity, fostering empathy, adding structure to our days, and even helping us forge social connections. With nearly 70 per cent of households owning a pet, Australia has one of the highest pet ownership rates in the world. In fact, there are more pets (29 million) than people (27 million) in the country, a testament to the profound and widespread role our animal friends play in our lives.

But as the role of pets continues to expand, so do the questions we must grapple with. Should public and commercial spaces be more accommodating to animals? Are we doing enough to harness the therapeutic and assistive potential of pets in aged care, disability support, and mental health services? And how do we balance the joy of pet companionship with the needs of those who suffer from allergies, phobias, or cultural discomfort around animals? Even more fundamentally, what about the welfare of the animals themselves, whose needs and instincts may clash with the lifestyles we impose on them? This discussion invites us to reflect on how animals fit into our human world—and how we fit into theirs.

Episode: SBS Insight - “It’s Just a Dog” (Episode 17, 2025)

This month we haven’t set a main book to read, though a few relevant titles are listed below. Instead, we’ll explore a collection of readings and videos organised around eight themes about the role of pets in our lives. A recent SBS Insight episode also gives a good sense of the kind of discussion we hope to have.

Themes we may explore include:

Pets as Family Members: The Private Joys of Pet Ownership

• We’ll explore how pets support our emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing—and what they bring to our daily routines and relationships.

Pets and Human Identity: How Our Choice of Pets Reflects or Shapes Who We Are

• We'll explore the fascinating connection between pet choice and personal identity, asking whether our animals reflect who we are or help shape who we become. Does a “dog person” or “cat person” label have any real meaning beyond memes?

The Unspoken Grief: Mourning Our Animal Companions

• We’ll reflect on how we cope with the death of a pet, and whether society sufficiently recognises and supports this kind of loss.

Social Pets: How Animals Strengthen Neighbourhood Bonds

• We’ll look at how pets help foster community by sparking everyday social connections and reducing isolation.

Paws That Heal: Animals in Therapy, Aged Care, and Disability Support

• We’ll consider how animals can play supportive and therapeutic roles in contexts such as aged care, mental health, and disability services.

Pets in the Public Square: Where Should Animals Be Welcome?

• We’ll discuss whether pets should have greater access to public and commercial spaces—including public transport and the workplace—and how to fairly accommodate those who find it difficult to be around animals.

Pet Welfare and Ethics: Are We Truly Serving Their Best Interests?

• We’ll confront challenging questions about whether our love truly serves our pets’ best interests. How do confinement, separation anxiety, and restricted natural behaviours affect their wellbeing? And does domesticated life genuinely benefit them?

Designer Breeds, Marketed Love, and Pet Influencers: The Business of Pets

• We’ll explore how consumer culture, status symbols, and the rise of pet influencers shape the way we see—and acquire—animal companions. As costs rise and housing becomes more restrictive, we’ll ask whether pet ownership is becoming something for which many are being quietly priced or locked out.

So join us for a drink (and optional meal) at 6:30pm Monday, 13th October on the 2nd floor (up two flights of stairs) at the Keg & Brew Hotel, Surrey Hills. The Keg & Brew is close to Central Station and the Light Rail.

We hope to see you there! Sadly, no pets allowed at the Keg & Brew.😞

P.S. If you’ve RSVP’d ‘yes’ but can no longer attend, please adjust your RSVP to help others if there is a waitlist.

P.P.S. Please check your email notification settings—especially 'Event updates from organisers' in your Big Ideas Book Club settings—so you receive any final details or last-minute changes.

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These are some suggested readings and videos for the various themes. But please feel free to do your own research and pass on anything useful in the discussion section.

Pets as Family Members: The Private Joys of Pet Ownership
Four Ways Having a Pet Increases Your Lifespan
The Health Benefits of Owning Pets
The Evolutionary Reasons Humans Love Pets and 9 Benefits
Pets Give Companionship Cuddles and Also Unavoidable Stress

Pets and Human Identity: How Our Choice of Pets Reflects or Shapes Who We Are
Are You a Cat Person or a Dog Person? Here's What Psychology Has to Say
Your Choice of Pet Could Predict What Kind of Personality You Have

The Unspoken Grief: Mourning Our Animal Companions
More than just an animal – Losing pets deserves more compassion
Why mourning a pet can be harder than grieving for a person

Social Pets: How Animals Strengthen Neighbourhood Bonds
Our Pets Strengthen Neighbourhood Ties
How Pets Can Help Strengthen Social Fabric
Pets can help their humans create friendships, find social support

Paws That Heal: Animals in Therapy, Aged Care, and Disability Support
The benefits of pet therapy in aged care settings
Robotic pets in aged care
Emotional Support Animals, Assistance Animals & Therapy Animals Explained

Pets in the Public Square: Where Should Animals Be Welcome?
Why Don’t More Public Places Welcome More Pets?
ABC The human benefits to office companion animals
The Pros and Cons of a Pet Friendly Office

Pet Welfare and Ethics: Are We Truly Serving Their Best Interests?
Think you're an ethical pet owner? Perhaps you should think again
Are Pets Better Off Without Us?

Designer Breeds, Pet Influences and Inequality: The Business of Pets
Ethical Concerns about Fashionable Dog Breeding
Press ‘paws’ on pet-influencer trend on social media
How to make pet companionship more accessible

Some books that may be of interest:

• Griffith 2025 How Animals Heal Us.
• Cushing 2021 Pet Nation: The Inside Story of How Companion Animals Are Transforming Our Homes, Culture, and Economy.
• Harvey 2019 The Animal's Companion: People & Their Pets, a 26,000-Year Love Story.
• Bradshaw 2018 The Animals Among Us: The New Science of Anthrozoology by John Bradshaw.