(PRESS RELEASE) STAMFORD, CT – In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month, the American Pet Products Association (APPA) announced the launch of its “Pet Feels” campaign, the newest initiative for the association’s Pets Add Life (PAL) program. While the goal of PAL is to promote the joys and benefits of pet ownership, more and more research reveals just how much pets can contribute to a person’s mental wellbeing.
The “Pet Feels” campaign features a series of videos that strives to visually showcase how pets make people feel. By addressing everyday stressors and emotions, the videos demonstrate how pets help their owners cope and provide support and love during challenging times.
“Pets clearly have a significant, positive impact on their owners’ lives, but expressing their true and lasting impact can be difficult to put into words. Through the vibrant imagery and authentic narration, the ‘Pet Feels’ campaign articulates the power of the human-animal bond and the strong emotions pets invoke, even when words are not enough,” said Steve King, president & CEO of APPA. “Mental health is a critical and important topic of conversation, especially as we emerge from a challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is just one way in which we hope to illuminate the subject and keep important conversations moving forward.”
According to the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Mental Health America (MHA), not only do pets help alleviate stress, but they also improve owners’ moods and help fight depression. Overall, 74% of pet owners reported mental health improvements from pet ownership and 75% reported a friend’s or family member’s mental health has improved from pet ownership. At the same time, 96% of pet owners agreed their pet has had a positive impact on their life, per a Nationwide/HABRI survey.
Launched in 2005 as a public service announcement effort, APPA’s PAL program has since grown into a highly impactful social media campaign garnering millions of followers and impressions. PAL has become one of the leading voices for promoting the joys and benefits of pet ownership, growing responsible pet ownership, and educating pet owners and potential pet owners on the proper care of companion animals.
The “Pet Feels” campaign is available on YouTube and will be shared on Facebook and Instagram throughout Mental Health Awareness Month. Fans and followers are encouraged to help spread PAL’s message to their own followers by engaging on PAL’s social media channels.
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