Benefits of the human-animal bond for older veterans and their companion dogs two years after enrolling in a foster-to-adopt program
These findings highlight the potential of companion dogs to support physical and psychological well-being of older adults, offering a meaningful intervention to reduce loneliness and social isolation, promote physical activity, and improve physical function.
Authors
- Odessa Addison (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8801-7231)
- Heidi K. Ortmeyer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9376-7029)
- Jamie Giffuni
- Julie Rekant (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0568-589X)
Institutions
- University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
- VA Maryland Health Care System (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- EXPLORE
- Published
- 2026-02-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2026.103343
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 30.93