Pets & Humans Animals and pets are a joy. More than half of U.S. households own a pet. In a study by the American Animal Hospital Association, over half of the respondents said if they were stranded on a desert island, they would prefer the company of their pet to a human companion. Multiple centers in the United States and around the world are studying the human-animal bond and the complex relationships between humans, animals, and their environment. Some results are surprising, others confirm what we previously believed. The following articles explore some of the relationships between people and their pets, and how those relationships affect many aspects of our lives