An ongoing study highlights one PhD student’s work to address inequality in pet ownership By Scott Rogers February 9, 2021
I have spent months now apologizing for two main things over Zoom my poor internet connection and my pets screaming at me every time I hop on a call. For many of us, the switch to more time spent at home has meant a dramatic increase in quality time with our pets in my case, spending every waking moment with an ungrateful cat who does not take kindly to office doors being shut.
JENNIFER APPLEBAUM, a PhD student in the Department of Sociology & Criminology and Law, the pandemic raises important sociological questions when it comes to people’s relationships with their companion animals. “Are pets actually helping people feel less lonely? Are they helping them have a more structured day?” she wondered.