Human-animal bond: from emotions to survival
Working in the animal health industry is very special – it gives anyone involved a regular dose of emotions as well as a feeling of responsibility and of a true impact the industry has on the lives of animals, people and the environment.
And then there is this human-animal bond, a dynamic, powerful and emotional relationship between people and animals which goes back a long way. This relationship affects people’s social behaviours, interpersonal interactions, improves their health and well-being, provides livelihood and drives food security and sustainable development.
In this article, Jean-Luc Michel, Head of Global Strategic Business Unit - Companion Animals, and George Heidgerken, Head of Global Strategic Business Unit - Livestock, reflect on two very different types of a human-animal relationship.
Jean-Luc Michel: Let’s talk ‘pet parentship’
“The human-pet relationship is actually very particular. Pet owners generally have a lifelong close connection with their pets, which is taking a different turn. We now call pet owners pet parents as they truly treat their pets like kids, which is substantiated by many surveys we’ve conducted. We see this shift towards ‘pet parentship’ of various levels in many countries and in some, people have pushed the parallel between kids and pets to higher levels: for example, in the US, 60 per cent of pet owners let their pet sleep in their bed.
“With pet ownership comes a duty of care, driven by learning and the vet community, and that’s when they move from pet owners to pet parents. This relationship manifests itself even more strongly in connection with health management - pet owners wouldn’t sacrifice or compromise on health of their pets, even in crises. That’s why this industry is very resilient.
“In general I see a very positive impact pets have on people’s lives (and our latest survey with Ipsos confirms that), not just on healthy people but sick or elderly ones as for them pets can be simply everything.
“Drawing on my own experience, with two children on their own now, our dog is a great companion to my youngest son who otherwise may feel a bit lonely. I notice that our dog also teaches him a sense of responsibility and to be less ego driven, which I find very important.
“To conclude, when reflecting on the fundamentals of this industry, I’d say that for many it’s a dream job. We usually deal with very positive emotions, which provides a fantastic lever to build strong brands just like the ones we have. I believe it’s an attractive angle for those who wish to work in animal health.”
George Heigerken: Managing livestock with respect and humanity is key
“When it comes to livestock, the human-animal bond is not a simple love affair. It is deeper than you may think. Let me start broadly. As the world’s population is increasing, we must find ways to feed more people while providing healthier and safer protein. At the same time, there is a limited amount of space on this planet; therefore, we need to use the planet’s resources more efficiently so that we continue to sustain life as we know it. That’s why we’ve chosen to focus on disease prevention.
“Preventing diseases that limit productivity will have an enormous impact on the entire world by feeding more people with safe and nutritious food while at the same time using less natural resources. As we feed more people using new solutions to prevent disease, I also envision that we can reduce the need for antibiotics. Preventing disease in our farm animals will also lead to eliminating pain and suffering caused by infections.
“Although I have never been a full-time farmer, cattle farming has been a big part of my life. I still reminisce about waking up in the morning and seeing those idyllic pastures in Canada where I grew up, surrounded by healthy Angus cattle. It’s an emotional picture and actually, I don’t know any farmer who wouldn’t have a connection with his/her animals through compassion and care.
“But there’s more to that. I strongly believe that taking a look at how respectfully a community treats all their animals gives you a deeper insight into how moral, ethical, and viable the society is. The same applies to companies.
“In some areas of the world, the human-farm animal relationship is also about survival and therefore diseases such as African swine fever and Foot-and-mouth disease can have disastrous impacts. I feel we have a huge amount of responsibility to help solve these problems, and prevent such devastating events through the development of new vaccines, teaching the farm industry more around biosecurity, developing new diagnostics tools and building stronger government collaborations.
“So for me there is no better place to be than helping production animals to have a good life because when they are healthy, happy and safe, they have a positive impact on society and the environment.”