Animals & Society

The Benefits of Pets (.pdf)
This resource gives details about some studies that reveal the physical and mental health benefits of having pets.

The Significance of Animals in the Lives of People (.pdf)
This fact sheet contains information and statistics about the benefits of pets and the link between cruelty to animals and violence towards humans.

Animal Ethics and Well-Being
This is a collection of columns from Best Friends magazine written by Dr. Frank McMillan, director of well-being studies at Best Friends.

Eye of the Beholder: The value we place on animals varies widely.  January/February 2010

When Animals Snap: From these incidents, we are learning things that are crucial to taking better care of animals.  March/April 2010

Our Duty to Man's Best Friend: Humans have created a strong emotional need for people in dogs, so it is our responsibility to make sure this need is fulfilled.  May/June 2010

What Best Friends Is Studying and Why: Dr. McMillan answers frequently asked questions about the studies he is conducting.  July/August 2010

One Very Valuable Lesson from Katrina: To help animals recovered in a specific rescue operation, you don't need to limit yourself to adopting one of those animals.  September/October 2010

What Exactly Is 'Unnecessary Suffering'? Dr. McMillan ponders the meaning of this widely used term.  November/December 2010

What Is a Puppy Mill? The true definition of this term is not as straightforward as you might think.  January/February 2011

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Toward A No-Kill Nation (.pdf)
As long as people believe that killing homeless animals is "just one of those necessary evils," it will continue.

To Kill or Not To Kill?
"No-kill shelters sound great," writes a lady in a letter to Best Friends. "But where do all the other animals go--the huge overflow our SPCA must handle?" 

To Kill or Not To Kill? That's No Longer the Question (.pdf)
Nobody who works at an animal shelter or humane society wants to kill the animals who are brought to them. Humane workers only do it because they see no alternative.

A Tale of Two Brothers (.pdf)
To a large extent, success in the No More Homeless Pets campaign depends on large-scale spay-neuter and adoption programs. But, at heart, it's still all about single acts of kindness, one at a time.

Playing God
If you've ever helped take care of a group of feral cats in your neighborhood, you know that it can be one of life's truly rewarding experiences. Best Friends Magazine editorial by Michael Mountain, January 2001 issue.

Speciesism: Alive and Well (.pdf)
Ed Duvin examines the ethics and practices of animal shelters and their broader implications to the success of the humane movement in this 1990 article.

In the Name of Mercy (.pdf)
Ed Duvin makes a rational appeal for a new ethic in animal sheltering, questioning conventional wisdom about the kindest way to deal with homeless animals, in this revolutionary 1989 article.

As the World Turns (.pdf)
If we all lived by the Golden Rule, the world would be a kinder, gentler place.

The Lion of Aghanistan (.pdf)
The King of Beasts has become a sacrificial victim in a world gone astray.

Happy Birthday! (.pdf)
Kindness to animals and respect for all life are the only meaningful foundation for a civilized world.

A Heavenly Fable (.pdf)
It was Judgment Day and the apprehension was palpable.

More Heavenly Fables (.pdf)
All living creatures represent the Dharma.

The Joys of Untraining (.pdf)
Dogs possess a wild, unbounded, loopy joy in life that we can all learn a lot from.

Blaming the Victims (.pdf)
Saying it's the animals' fault is as old as original sin.

Victor the Dogfather (.pdf)
The simple truth is that all aggression is born of fear.

Treating People Like Animals (.pdf)
Being free of our own base impulses enables us to start living a life of kindness.

Life with Greyhounds (Special Feature)
More and more of these delightful dogs are finding their way into good homes as the racing industry goes into decline.

How Much Is That Doggie in the Window? (.pdf)
This 2005 article from Best Friends magazine talks about what goes on in puppy mills and who's doing something about it.