Exploring the Phenomenon of Zooeyia: The Importance of the Human-Animal Bond

1. Introduction

Zooeyia is a term coined by the American physician and veterinarian Dr. Edward Price to convey the idea of human health arising from our relationship with other animals. Zo = from the Greek zoon, meaning animal or living being, and heyia = from the Greek hygeia, meaning health, cleanliness or sanitation, and by extension, healthiness. It is distinct from Animal Assisted Activities, Therapy or Learning initiatives, which are activities or interventions that harness the human-animal bond in intentional and structured ways to achieve a specific therapeutic or learning goal for the human involved. Zooeyia, the feel good factor, rests on our human-animal bond, but is a process in which the mechanisms are not the behaviors of the animal, but ours.

The concept of Zooeyia reinforces the fact that our close and mutually fruitful relationship with animals has been fundamental to our co-evolution and historically promoted the welfare and survival of the human species, in that sense. It reminds us that this relationship is not merely an ethological/research issue, but the most ancient and lasting ecological relationship. When researched and practiced, zooeyia impels us to view and interact with animals in more holistic, etiological, humanistic and sustainable ways, rather than in simple forms of monetarism, exploitation, cultivation or contamination. These issues are both important for the field of activity research and for the public at large, and indeed also have important implications for policy makers. This review paper raises some of the research and policy issues which come into sharp focus to help flesh out some zooeyia.

1.1. Definition and Origin of the Term

Zooeyia (Greek: zoion = animal; hygeia = health) is a term coined in 1980 by researcher and clinical physician Alan M. Beck. He has played a leading role in the development and practical implementation of the earlier termed One Health in respect of the Human-Animal Interface. The driving force to his pioneering studies is the existence of a one-health principle, which includes animal health, human health, and ecological health. Central to his reflection, in this respect, is today-cited early work (1979) evaluating the relationship between pet ownership and cardiovascular diseases. Beck and Katcher (1996) considered zooeyia to be a standing metaphor for values, attitudes, and institutions that have recognized the human-animal bond.

The history of the term continues to be an area of research and its historic origins continue to be established. In the interim, however, consequent to where the inquiry is today concerning the values, attitudes, and institutions that recognize the human-animal bond, and where associated discussions consistently utilize the term One Health and all its offshoots (e.g. Two, Three, Four, Five, etc.), a groundswell of researchers now choose to consistently and systematically use the term One Welfare (2009) for the values, attitudes, and institutions that have recognized the human-animal bond as originally introduced and elaborated as A Universally Underpinned Concept. If one were to subscribe to the foregoing and ongoing methodology and its research findings to date, an evolution and mobilization of the assets needed, an appropriate and more informed term to bridge the statement or statement process would be zooeyia, from One Health to One Welfare.

The term zooeyia serves to identify a branch of applied and transdisciplinary scientific knowledge that deals with the study of the reciprocal interactions between the health and well-being of human beings and the health and well-being of animals, as well as socio-environmental, management, and ownership-related conditions, i.e., dimensions of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. It should not, however, be confused with the sum of scientific knowledge or the field of study known as medicine, which deals specifically with human health. On the other hand, the presence of animals nearby, contact with nature, and the promotion of activities with pets and farm animals are useful tools for improving the emotional and psychological state in stress situations, such as living in enclosed environments, the treatment of diseases in isolation, or the restrictions encountered during the adaptation to different phases of the growth cycle of human life. These types of activities can be included in what we call the context of a zooeyia program. The zooeyia program or intervention with living animals that, according to the population or agency, can be of the type: pet, therapy, or service; with the objective of fulfilling an anticipated function or achieving a given outcome, called zuse, that affects the health or well-being of the human receivers. The activities of zooeyia programs provide the context for animals to interact with humans. These animals can be service, assistance, working, support, emotional support, therapy, or care animals. Although these can be classified according to their training and function, we still see that there are points that are distorted and poorly understood. This is why we use the inclusive category of a therapy dog. This can be familiar or therapy trained. Their intervention should be differentiated. Its characteristics are analyzed. Its achieved effects too. It is for this reason that companies, regardless of the sector in which they are inserted, see their responsibilities towards the well-being of employees change, in the face of corporate social responsibility, towards the multiplicity of emerging social issues. It is recommended that companies adopt a zooeyia initiative so that they can face the challenges that arise in the global world that we now live in.

The development of the concept of the bond between humans and animals, which is now explicit in the term 'human-animal bond', has achieved the status of formal scientific excellence. This has been a positive development in the recognition of the importance of both the well-being of animals by human carers and in a holistic approach to therapeutic intervention. The bond has been recognized to be important both for the well-being of the carer and the human or animal, or both. The concept of the bond is not just one of a few therapeutic gestures that can be offered to the carer. As we know in human terms, listening in therapy is often as, if not more, important than offering advice. The animal's role in both therapy and being of interest and help to the human is important. Zooeyia—the notion that pets have health benefits—has been a development of the human-animal bond. Much attention has been paid in the scientific literature to the beneficial effects of living with pets.

The human-animal bond was described by ancient Greek philosophers who recognized what could be considered a positive aspect in the new binomial 'animal + human'. The term 'pet therapy' was introduced to indicate the use of pets as emotional support for clients admitted to psychiatric hospitals. Since then, the scientific community has increasingly investigated the potential effects of animals on human psychological and physical health. The very term 'pet' has undergone an evolution, and today, it includes a variety of species, many of which are not domesticated and have adaptive, cognitive, and social needs superimposable to those of human beings. The term is, in fact, adapting; animal-assisted intervention is more correct if the task of the animal exceeds the simple emotional or physical support. This interest stems from the fact that the human situation has changed, recognizing today the importance and influence of symbiotic and mutual health-related relationships between man and animal. The scientific literature uses the term 'human-pet relationship' or 'pet ownership' to indicate the bond that is created between an individual and a pet. There is evidence that a significant percentage of the population shares their daily life with a pet.

1.2. Historical Perspective on Human-Animal Relationships

Man's relationship with other animals is an ancient one predating even the evolution of Homo sapiens. In Greek and Roman civilization, animals performed a variety of functions for humans including, but not limited to, transportation, traction, food, clothing, ceremonial events, religious practices, and companionship. Over the millennia, numerous books and essays have been written by philosophers, artists, writers, and scientists on the various roles animals have in human life. The historical development of human-animal relationships can be traced through a diverse range of practices associated with animals including literature, trade and economy, art, architecture, social relationships, entertainment, law and reports, natural history and science, welfare, work, and last but not least, human medical care. While the historical inequities in the mutual exploitation of humans and animals are legion, so also are the human efforts to relate morally to animals through various forms of discrimination. The history of differences between people and emphasis upon the diversity of views about human relationships to animals does, however, have a unifying theme. This theme is the fundamentally diverse and significant ways that human-animal relations impact human well-being.

2. Biological and Psychological Benefits of the Human-Animal Bond

Human-animal interactions have been shown to reduce the level of stress, anxiety, and loneliness. In immobile patients, they favor socialization, improve mood, and indeed stimulate life, things which often fail to be achieved by human therapies and care. When laboratory studies and clinical experience have statistically demonstrated these aspects of physical and mental welfare, people have begun to speak about zooeyia, which is the opposite aspect of the well-known concept of zoygeia. In medicine, originally in Hippocrates' works, it focuses attention on the prevention of falling ill. The origin comes from the Greek words zoon and heiò, which indicates perhaps a certain restoration.

2.1. Physical Health Benefits

Intercanis species. Although there is no consistent evidence to suggest that pet ownership protects the owner from heart attack or stroke, there is evidence to show that male pet owners experience lower blood pressure, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels in comparison to matched control participants who do not own animals. There is evidence to suggest that having a pet reduces heart rate reactivity to physical and psychological stress, and that being in the presence of a beloved companion animal may reduce serum cortisol concentrations. Exposure to companion animals has also been linked to improvements in stress-related illnesses, emotional well-being, and coping abilities, with some studies suggesting that the effects of emotional stress experienced by humans are reduced in the presence of a companion animal, relative to the presence of a spouse. Elderly pet owners experience an overall reduction in physical health complications, and elderly individuals who suffer from minor health problems, with a close bond with their pet, cope better with stressful events than do these individuals with a weak bond or solitary individuals. In addition to the physical health benefits associated with experiencing close contact with companion animals, pet ownership has also been linked to increased physical activity, weight control, and physical health satisfaction in humans.

2.2. Mental Health Benefits

Summary: This section elaborates on the benefits of pets in relation to mental health, focusing on the reduction of stress and anxiety, increase in self-esteem, improvement in cognitive functions, and motivation. Additionally, benefits for people with disabilities are presented, such as a reduction of loneliness. Positive effects of dogs and other animals, including cats, canaries, iguanas, and horses, are discussed.

Animal companionship provides various mental health benefits, such as stress reduction and reduced anxiety, depression, and loneliness, among others. In terms of stress and anxiety, animal companions provide emotional and developmental support for children. Animal contact adds joy and comfort to their lives, and it has become a common method in calming children with autism. Relationships with dogs help in releasing oxytocin hormone, which can improve confidence in people and lower scores of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Moreover, dogs are an important factor in reducing the stress typically experienced by military veterans and soldiers returning from combat areas. This fact leads to a reduction in unemployment and increased satisfaction with life in general. Even short-term contact with dogs during a stressful situation can accelerate human body recovery and build resistance to stress. In the example of the short period of three months during which a pensioner lived with a dog, it was found that the person had an improved heart rate and blood pressure, as well as overall mental well-being.

3. Zooeyia in Different Life Stages

Human life can be segmented into three broad life stages: infancy/childhood, adolescence/early adulthood, and middle adulthood/old age. Most research studies examining the health and well-being outcomes associated with companion animals in the home focus on elderly individuals. The most widely researched positive impacts of the human-animal bond on ordinary people in various households appear to be related to elderly individuals who have companion animals in home settings. With respect to the connections between human-animal relationships and zooeyia, the influential developmental psychologist thought those relationships were important during childhood for building resilience and within the context of therapeutic interventions by trained children's nurses offering care. The foundation for a therapeutic use of zooeyia within clinical settings involving small children seems therefore to be present.

One can draw the general conclusion that the human-animal bond seems to be of positive consequence for seniors' health. Specific studies noted interactions such as taking a dog for a walk and playful interactions, such as petting and grooming the animal, are important for health. There are also broader beneficial psycho-emotional processes related to human-animal relationships that contribute to the happiness and well-being of seniors in various settings. It appears that older adults with closer human-animal relationships had lower depressive symptoms. Furthermore, studies addressed aspects of resilience, especially in the context of widowhood, which is also an important aspect of mental health for many seniors.

3.1. Children and Adolescents

Human-animal interaction provides the child with a unique emotional experience during the early years of his life. Evidence suggests that relationships with pets help to develop empathy, security, respect, and dignity towards others. Most studies reported results of greater attachment of boys to animals, but the existing evidence should be considered with caution due to the possibility of gender differences in the expression of attachment to pets rather than differences in the extent to which pets are valued by each gender group. Meanwhile, children who have pets are reported to have higher levels of self-esteem, and those who underwent attachment training programs in school with shelter pets are associated with perspective taking, while girls are supported by affective empathy.

Guidelines to consider pets: a) as a part of the family in order to develop a person's positive identity, the feeling of trust, and personal competence; b) consider the needs and provision of care for the pet as a source of self-respect and an understanding of self-perception as a strong character; c) learn moral rules, maintain discipline, self-regulation, and the rights of others together with the pet. Other relevant studies related to the positive contribution of the existence of pets, in addition to self-esteem, also take into account children's overall well-being, which comprises stress and ASD levels, and there is ample evidence that the participation of children with pets is related to better physical condition and body fitness through activities such as play and physically active pursuits.

3.2. Adults and Elderly

As the 1950s baby boom generation ages, the conventional notion of the one or two-person family that is available to provide caregiving and companionship will change. Too many adults are now living childless and may not have extended family members nearby. Elderly persons who have lost their spouse often experience profound loneliness. Emotional life support might mitigate feelings of loneliness, while companion animals do promote self-esteem. Elderly people have proven to be conscientious and compatible owners of such pets. Today's elderly people have their pets for a variety of reasons. For some, the pet has been with them for a long time; for others, their pet is a new companion. Pets allay loneliness, have health benefits, but above all, they literally give owners a reason to get up at a certain time and get out to walk around. Many studies have also found that pet owners have a lower blood pressure than non-owners. Stress levels were also significantly reduced when patients had the opportunity to pet dogs for a short time.

Conversely, the elderly may not be able to take long walks to provide their pet with exercise and usually do not earn enough money to house their pets in any boarding facility. Since they are alone, the elderly feel comfortable talking to their pets. The demand for pets by the elderly is high; since animals provide companionship and love, it is agreed that pets can satisfy many human needs without concerning them. They are undemanding for many appropriate things in people, including being loved and needing to love someone or something. Regardless of the individual's perception of benefits or losses, the pet-dependent research often has significant potential limitations that are paramount to any generalization or, worse, to establishing laws. The rational and quantitative interpretation of the place of pets is loved by humans, varying from children to those considered elderly, and once again reinforcing the importance of the human-animal bond that psychology previously paid so little attention to.

4. Zooeyia in Various Settings

Different organizations provided forums for the sharing of animal companionship in a variety of health-oriented and human service programs. Although these programs serve different ends, ranging from animal-based therapy for illness, injuries, and stress-related problems, to the facilitation of other types of therapy by using animals as catalysts, to such diverse goals as exercise, psychomotor development, and maintenance of morale, each reflects an awareness of the special health contributions of the human-animal bond in a specific setting. Indeed, these settings are only examples of a broader phenomenon that involves all aspects of the health contribution that companion animals can make to their human friends in a therapeutic way.

A discussion of this phenomenon in our chapter, limited by necessity, focuses on those groups of humans for whom the special relationship with animals can make a significant impact on service provision, morale, health status, or ability to confront the day-to-day problems of living. Indeed, this approach provides humane service to both the welfare of people and the welfare of animals, principal purposes of the professional organizations of social workers and animal welfare workers, in a manner that is demonstrably beneficial to enhancing general society. Moreover, service elements provided in such a cost-effective way for the community by a variety of entities create a positive public image for both the organization and the people and animals it represents, which spills over into the service recipients' support of the organization and the attitudes with which they perceive their accomplishments.

4.1. Domestic Environments

Although wild animals were an integral part of the life of our early human ancestors and vital for their survival, it is only in more recent times that people have had the chance to live much closer to them thanks to agriculture and the domestication process. The human-animal bond is not just about pets. It can cover several different relationships or interactions between humans and animals, often having constructive effects on human health and well-being. However, the opposite can also be true; the existence of a poor or unhealthy bond can compromise individual welfare. People living with and around pets report feelings of well-being and satisfaction with their relationships, mainly related to physical rather than mental health. Coexisting with animals is one of the essential qualities that is highly appreciated and expressed by their owners. The relationship with pets, farm animals, and natural life in general parallels a growing interest in animal ethics and rights, leading to a much deeper consideration of the implications of the human-animal bond, especially in the spheres of animal-assisted intervention, animal-assisted education, and animal-assisted therapy. A well-balanced environment, with the support of a unique cloud of microbes associated with domestic animals, has made our life as we know it possible. Societies accept the idea that fostering welfare, irrespective of whether the involved creatures come from our own species or belong to others, is an ethical responsibility. On account of the relational aspect, the human-animal bond is a potential groundbreaking factor in this sense. So, the zooeyia concept gains its meaning from a partnership whose consequences and implications should be continually investigated.

4.2. Therapeutic Settings

Programs using several species are being increasingly used in the therapy of the elderly, as is the case of farms specifically geared to that end or places for animal or pet therapy. Special attention to this activity has come from occupational therapy, which has found in it a form of making human activity more pleasant and meaningful; nevertheless, the impact of these kinds of projects has also been analyzed in the field of psychology. It is astonishing how certain elderly and disabled people can establish emotional bonds, companionable animal relationships that make it easier for them to link back socially to their environment. It heeds the recommendations of greater human-animal-social bonding power by means of the facilitation of close or contact relations between human beings.

In the therapy of people with psychological disorders, the human-animal relationship through therapists acts as a vehicle to discuss thoughts and feelings, which in most cases would be impossible to do outside this context. The animal may therefore be an auxiliary to the therapeutic process, helping to communicate, to share and, especially, fulfill roles of reunion or care, and in some cases, more reducedly, a threat to the therapist's life. This is the case of quadruped animals, whether work or company. Such is the case of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Canine Assisted Therapy, Feline Facilitated Psychotherapy, Delfino Assisted Therapy, etc. The majority of cases are affected by psychological disorders ranging from antishyness training to severe traumas. In all cases, the aim is not to train or teach any communication or another skill, but rather to channel the individual's difficulties.

4.3. Workplace Environments

Work can be another mundane routine and stressor, or it can fulfill personal and collective ideals, offer satisfaction, and create worker motivation. Personal efforts and productivity at work may be related to attitudes about work. In the garrison environment, the workplace has a noticeable role because the work organization helps to sustain the environment and establish patterns and expectations of collective life. People at work build and define an organization's character, and the garrison culture could play an important role in the well-being and performance of the employees. Training, educational programs, and care about subordinates' physical and mental health and lifestyles may constitute critical determinants of workplace environments.

Animals seem to help people recover from daily stress. Some modern offices have cat rooms that allow workers to interact with resident felines to relieve work-related stress and lower blood pressure and heart rate. A yoga organization introduced goats into the workplace for stress relief. Training about daily stress may prepare users to anticipate and prevent health problems. Animals in the workplace undoubtedly reduce stress behaviors and improve work performance by adding variety and love to working conditions. Animals prove their affection by showing acceptance and readiness to serve others. The coinhabitants of an environment interact and create the conditions and different opportunities that improve coexistence and ensure the welfare of the local ecosystem. Several researchers have explored the health and performance benefits of animals in workplace environments. Beyond the direct delivery of animals to the workplace, communities of practice stimulate interpersonal contacts between employees and common beliefs and shared principles related to workplace activities carried out on both private and official time.

5. Zooeyia and Animal-Assisted Interventions

The importance of the bond between humans and animals has often been overlooked, but increased research is beginning to demonstrate the central role these bonds play in our health, well-being, and mutual interdependence as species. As people continue to migrate from rural to urban areas, greater disconnection from food sources and the land, and the potential for urban sprawl and increased human-animal conflicts, greater attention by city planners and community designers to the positive roles animals can play is increasingly warranted. Designing cities as habitats, integrating nature and animals into communities, and fostering greater contact between species are essential for the health of all species. Providing more species-friendly policies through the encouragement of pet ownership and regular contact with animals in the community, businesses, public facilities, and urban planning are the first important steps for the implementation of a smarter and more comfortable city.

Healthcare facilities need to be promoted as species-friendly environments, encouraging urban pet ownership that includes dogs, cats, fish, and birds. Allowing pets to be part of urban life through community services improves urban quality and the well-being of city dwellers. People with sensory disabilities, physical-motor disabilities, cognitive and/or mental disabilities, and complex syndromes and multimorbidity can all be supported; these individuals often benefit from improvements in their emotional state, mood, relationships, anxiety and stress, and symptoms deriving from mental and cognitive health diseases, and other psychosocial issues.

5.1. Types of Animal-Assisted Interventions

The term animal-assisted therapy (AAT) may include multiple concepts, but in a broad sense, it refers to activities carried out with the presence of an animal in a way that induces psychological, physical, and social benefits for beneficiaries. AAT supports the psychotherapy of various diseases and is performed by a qualified expert. Animal-assisted activities (AAA) performed as interventions usually assist the work and relaxation therapy of the target group. Animal-assisted education is used to teach and train individuals, especially children, using animals as an attractive model. Animal-assisted training is the use of animals in various vocational training and rehabilitation programs. Animal-assisted occupation is used for those with disabilities to support their entry into the labor market. Animal-assisted physical therapy, also known as animal-assisted rehabilitation, is a particular form of physical therapy used to treat various diseases such as autism and other pervasive developmental disorders, neuromuscular diseases, and behavioral difficulties. This type of therapy has been widely discussed in recent times, often distorting its scope. The concept of pet therapy leads to confusion, as any kind of activity performed with animals induces both psychological and physical benefits for the target group.

5.2. Effectiveness and Applications

As private manufacturers and public health institutions strive to provide additional and improved health lanes, the implementation of new and creative health solutions is a necessity. Through the phenomenon of zooeyia, a collection of promising bundles offering viable dedicated wellness applications can emerge. Analogous to the diverse range of technology and style of mobile smartphones, multiple wellness diversions—addressing different physical, psychological, and social wellness needs—can manifest. Animal interaction is likely to be a widespread and welcomed feature of these innovative wellness apps. Animal companionship not only directly multiplies the connections to other physical, psychological, or social end-user desired app features, but also may contribute significantly to these end goals on its own. While experiencing this expanded interactive potential, app users can freely select from a diversity of delivery formats.

All of zooeyia's benefits can be conceptualized as interrelating heavily. They can effectively function, pairwise or with multiple benefits applied concomitantly, at any intersection, between or across all of the large human-animal physical, psychological, and social considerations. These phenomena can act separately or synergistically. This family of wellness benefits can take the form of primary or secondary prevention, or treatment and rehabilitative attributes. While ideating at this public health and healthcare crossroad, it can be remembered that animals and their keepers are providing all the initially requested and emerging wellness functions related to the topic of eudaemonia. We are improving the well-being of our communities and our democracy.

6. Ethical Considerations in Human-Animal Interactions

The human interest in obtaining health benefits from contact with pets, from observing wildlife, and from other nonhuman animals is grounded in various traditions. Nowadays, people consider their pets to be semipersons. The bond between a person and a pet is very complex and quite different from the bond between two people, as there is considerable bonding between a member of a different species. Rituals linked to animal deaths in the case of pets are present, and people talk and argue about pets with intense emotions. Even children clearly perceive the death of a pet as having importance, and they are accepted for showing sadness. As a result, the standard of pet care has increased significantly. However, despite the presence of a trade in fallow deer, it is difficult to accept rare phenotypes being moved around just so that owners can make money in the name of rare or interesting.

In rural areas, certain wildlife are important human group symbols. Deer are also a symbol of a wildness that transcends thoughts of daily survival of humans, horses are synonymous with the manes of their domain, and eagles dominate the waterways so that it is almost impossible to think of a life without them. All three of these animals are indicative of a clean and healthy environment. Furthermore, there is a heritage of obtaining goods from wildlife and also a belief that animals are not ours to abuse or take for granted. Each presence signals a particular type of value that relates to a sense of health. Entering into an ethical discourse about the human connection with a wild presence can deepen our understanding of both humans and nonhuman animals and, in turn, improve both health and the state of the environment.

6.1. Animal Welfare and Rights

Zootherapy in all its forms and manifestations is animal work and therefore can raise ethological and moral issues. Veterinarians, ethologists, and animal welfare NGOs are well aware of the problems associated with assistance animals and the risks associated with dogs being present in hospitals, care homes, and schools. For domestic pets, one of the main issues is the mode of representation and management of pain and suffering, based on ethical and legal issues and the preponderance of human issues over those of the domestic animal. However, the role and mission of animals to improve human health, be it physical, cognitive, or emotional, are increasingly recognized as therapeutic. Further, all forms of introducing domestic animals into collective structures derive from traditional activities prepared for more than 40,000 years.

6.2. Informed Consent and Boundaries

Surprisingly, the legal and philosophical literature on the place and human use of animals in medicine has been forgotten. The subject has been perfected in only a brief philosophical article and in a zoological monograph. Both valorize the ancient use of animals in medicine, emphasizing biodiversity and ethnozoology, and outline a reasoned and focused response from Western ethical and philosophical thought that is little known and post-Darwinian. This work presents an animal-centered interpretation of zootherapy for animals by exposing arguments of instrumentalization, anthropomorphization, and knowledge of the mind. The study of the ethics of animal use in medicine remains embryonic. The anthropozoological characteristics exemplified by the citrine and gilded thread of the pallia deserve to be further developed. For non-stabilized activities, the legal and animal welfare framework should be modernized. Animal welfare standards must be reinforced, extended, and prescribed only by veterinarians, not all professionals who practice there. For sectors in full development, it is time to take measures promptly.

Informed consent is essential in animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted intervention. It refers to all aspects that participants need to know in advance in order to participate voluntarily and to minimize risks to humans, animals, and nature. In human-animal relations, not everyone wants to interact with an animal, and exceptions should be respected, especially in groups. Informed consent is an integral aspect of animal-assisted intervention. It refers to all aspects that participants must know in advance in order to participate voluntarily and to minimize risks for humans, animals, and the environment. Not everyone wants to have interaction with an animal, so this exception has to be respected, especially in groups. Balancing the well-being of humans, the well-being of animals, and the joint well-being in interaction is an essential aspect that must be taken into account to create a healthy connection between human and animal. Essential in these activities is the correct knowledge of the animal, as well as its physical and emotional state. Important, as well, are the possible needs of the other people present. Only when giving attention to all elements involved is a rich meeting possible, thus responding integrally to the needs of the meeting participants.

7. Future Directions in Zooeyia Research

In the past 40 years, the variety of evidence indicative of a protective role of companion animals in supporting healthier and longer human life has increased exponentially. Any research program is not based solely on the reproduction of the knowledge that has been previously acquired, but it is enriched by the new questions based on the evidence that are derived from the previously obtained answers. This brief overview aims to provide evidence on the relevance of the human-animal bond as expressed in the phenomenon of zooeyia and to present the existing results on the impact of companion animals in both disease prevention and healing, the classification of which as evidence-based medicine has already received a lot of acknowledgment and diffusion.

Nevertheless, much remains to be known about the specific areas of potential impact of pets on human physical health, particularly concerning the mechanisms of such effects. If one long-term goal of the zooeyia investigation – one specifically quite challenging, yet of enormous potential translational impact – is to identify the array of interacting biopsychological, psychosocial, and behavioral processes that enable, enhance, and ultimately sustain salutogenic impact, other opportunities must be taken much more immediately. For instance, the zooeyia phenomenon becomes increasingly prominent in the growing elderly population in need of long-term social support, given the role played by companionship and emotional bonding with companion animals to prevent loneliness, depression, and illness burdens. In an era of digital technology, it may be quite simple to imagine how interacting with robotic dolls may fail to restore bonds with pets previously enjoyed. Yet, illness imposing restrictions on real compliance with pet care might be relieved by technological solutions that discern real animal behaviors and that may represent other potentials for pet interactions, such as monitoring an individual's functional status. Advanced sensors embedded in pet-like robots could play a similar role to companion animals in the households of individuals with special needs. These are examples of concepts that might represent the future of the human-animal bond and lay the foundations of an integrative, innovative discipline based on species coherence remediations. The premise of the quoted makes sense today even if, intentionally, we moved the animal into the person. "All problems seem to diminish when common needs are more apparent than alternative differences."

7.1. Emerging Trends and Technologies

Emerging technologies and trends have the potential to advance these proposed research areas and transform the zooeyia field. Given that technology is advancing more rapidly than our understanding of the human-animal relationship, it follows that the zooeyia field will be increasingly integrated with technology as the scientific study of the human-animal relationship becomes more mainstream. Advanced sensing and data technologies will allow us to quantify, relate, and optimize key aspects of zooeyia, including the individual animal and the human-animal relationship. This has the potential to lead to an explosion of data that will transform our understanding of the human-animal bond, provide guidance on breeding social animals to positively impact human well-being, and more seamlessly integrate human-animal interactions in our day-to-day lives.

7.2. Cross-Disciplinary Collaborations

As we prepare to face the challenges of the twenty-first century that could affect global well-being, developing cross-disciplinary collaborations is critical. The complex problems of the twenty-first century do not respond to efforts restricted by narrow problem-solving frames. Key disciplines that can help answer questions regarding zooeyia include environmental ethics, environmental law, environmental health, environmental engineering, public health, the health sciences, the animal sciences, occupational science, and environmental education inclusive of ecological literacy. Issues regarding the health and well-being of humans and other animals are deeply embedded in traditional professional paradigms. In addition to the spectrum of fields already mentioned, there are scholars in other fields such as anthropology, sociology, philosophy, or history who are adept at teasing out complex human-animal interactions, implications, and values that could be connected to the phenomenon of zooeyia. We need to continue integrating so-called "hard" and "soft" sciences and humanities. It is critical that science and society combine to address some of these global issues. It makes more sense for society to find solutions that result in finding balance and peace among all groups of animals and their habitats, including human habitats. We ignore this task at our physical, ecological, social, and spiritual peril.

8. Conclusion and Implications for Society

Over the decades, there has been a marked increase in the recognition of the value of the human-companion animal bond. We have witnessed an exponential increase in research, studies, and observations, leading to scientific, evidence-based support for the importance of the bond. This incredible contribution of scientific investigations results from a complex and unique relationship that has developed between humans and our companion animals. This is positively impacting health, generating multiple solutions to health challenges, providing not only comfort but motivation to heal. It is a result of a uniquely powerful mix of love, empathy, and intuition that we all materialize in the presence of our companion animals, allowing the animals to attend to needs, sometimes before their humans are aware of them themselves. Such a phenomenon has become known as Zooeyia—health benefits afforded by the human-animal bond enabling us to fight successfully the growing challenges of today’s society. Warriors and helpers, noble and true, the contribution of companion animals to humanity extends far beyond basic jobs and includes those of love, concern, and responsibility. Modern society is rethinking attitudes and approaches in many areas to such a degree that it is coming to the attention of many that such profound, dedicated additional assistance—human assistance, no less—that extends to humans, and yet is not provided by humans. It can only be the well-recognized, recorded, and continually discovered and investigated extraordinary benefits deriving from the close association and interaction across a range of species. That such expert and caring intervention is much more widely shared and available to most in society than was previously thought possible might be expected to provoke an understanding, rethinking, and modification—sometimes subtle to a marked degree—of many aspects of how we live our lives; consciousness, the rules, codes, and guidelines that society’s members follow, and what in reality these are trying to effectively and humanely manage; how and perhaps most significantly when a rule or procedure might be modified. After all, at what point in societal history has access to compassion, support, advice, and encouragement, when most often needed, been readily and widely dysfunctionally placed at a remove in human society, particularly if we recognize that through empathy and understanding of a wide range of body language and vocalizations we share human emotion and bonds with multiple species of animals? Undoubtedly, society will continue to evolve in its approaches to training, documentation, education, and increasing recognition of animal contribution. With ease, humanity can date, document, and share a growing awareness of and need for the heartfelt willing support so many creatures regularly offer to us. What was not supposed to happen, the trusted bond relationship and recognized benefits for humanity, should provide an impetus to sharing, modification, and working together. Our society, with a rich variety of species and individuals and creative solutions, is more equipped to guide, support, and be safeguarded by nonhuman animals to be better all together. This is the extraordinary path we are all on together and the way the human-animal bond is invaluable. Its simple existence, though, generates an indescribable importance for animals and the potential for so many wonderful and positive life experiences for humans.

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