Meals on Wheels Pet Programming and Client Needs Assessment

Efforts to address loneliness and social isolation are central to the programming and research goals of Meals on Wheels America. To further explore isolation, loneliness and the role pets play in providing comfort and companionship to Meals on Wheels clients, Meals on Wheels America embarked on a research project from July 2020 through January 2021 — during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this research project, Meals on Wheels America aimed to better understand the specific needs, challenges and opportunities available to clients and the Meals on Wheels network in addressing gaps in pet care.

This report examines results from a telephone survey conducted of clients with pets, offering new insight into the pet program needs among local Meals on Wheels providers. Note that only clients with pets were included in this study, so a comparative population of clients without pets is not available in this dataset.

Key Findings

The research effort detailed in this report set out to analyze Meals on Wheels client perceptions of pet companionship, analyze the extent to which pet support programs empower socialization and reduce social isolation, and offer a profile of Meals on Wheels pet-owning clients.

The data presents a compelling case for providing care to support the bond between clients and their pets:

• Nearly 100% of clients reported that their pet brings happiness to their life.
• Clients who were classified as lonely, at risk for social isolation and lived alone had the highest bonding scores with their pets, emphasizing the companionship that pets offer to people living alone.
• Clients with pets reported significant challenges to caring for their pet and accessing veterinary care.
  • Half of Meals on Wheels client pet homes reported an inability to obtain needed veterinary care in the past two years, nearly double the findings of other research of pet homes.
  • The primary barrier to pet care was financial.
  • Half of clients reported transportation as a barrier, another statistic well above other reported rates.
  • Nearly 30% of clients reported foregoing personal care in order to provide for their pets.
  • 1 in 2 clients indicated that they do not have anyone else to help them with their pet needs other than Meals on Wheels pet programming.

• Over 80% believed that Meals on Wheels support had made it possible to keep their pet.

This project presented a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between social services and animal welfare and offered insights into Meals on Wheels client perceptions of pet companionship, the extent to which pet support programs empower socialization and reduce social isolation, and a profile of Meals on Wheels pet-owning clients.

In reproducing any excerpts of this report, please provide a credit that recognizes Meals on Wheels America, such as: Meals on Wheels America. (2021). Meals on Wheels Pet Programming and Client Needs Assessment. https://www.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/research/meals-on-wheels-pet-programming-and-client-needs-assessment/