From Pets to Pests: Testing the Scope of the “Pets as Ambassadors” Hypothesis

Positive relationships with pets can sometimes foster more positive judgments of other animals. The present study sought to examine the scope this “pets as ambassadors” effect in relation four meaningful animal categories (companion, farmed, predator, and pest) derived from Animal Images Database (Animal.ID). Animal.ID contains ratings 376 Portuguese individuals on pet attachment several dimensions related attributes moral concern for 120 different animals, which offered insights into nature effect. Pet was positively ethical animals lower levels speciesism. relationship between attributions were expressed, beyond companion most consistently predators farmed least all pests. benefits centered mostly aesthetic benevolent feelings toward sentience pests, concerns about killing groups human consumption. did not reliably relate made intelligence or dangerousness their similarity humans. findings help clarify how might serve ambassadors