Most of us already know how much a dog can enrich your life. Our canine companions can certainly improve our mental health, and it turns out they can also make our communities safer!
Recently research from Ohio State University found that neighborhoods with more dogs have lower crime rates. Some people might think this just refers to homes with scary baby mice, but there’s so much more to it.
It seems that the simple presence of dogs in a neighborhood makes it a less desirable area to target. They believe this is because there are more eyes above ground, but let’s explain their findings in detail.
“What is relevant are people walking their dogs in the neighborhood. They become almost like a neighborhood watch.” – Glenn Rogers, dog trainer
When a community is overflowing with furry friends, this means many pet parents will walk their dogs at all hours of the day. Some of these walks are predictable and routine, while others will vary from day to day. The frequent travel of both dogs and their parents worries potential criminals.
These daily walks not only help to see more of the ground, but also allow neighbors to get to know each other and stay informed about local activities. This creates even higher levels of trust in the community, and neighborhoods with higher levels of trust also seem to have lower crime rates.
“When people are out walking their dogs, they talk, they pet each other’s dogs. Sometimes they know the dog’s name and don’t even know the owner’s name. They learn what’s going on and can spot potential problems.” — Nicolo Pinchak, lead author of the study at Ohio State
And of course, a potential invader will likely target homes they know are dog-free. Not only are they at risk of being harmed by a dog when they break in, but they may also bark and alert their owner to a crime.
Research shows that neighborhoods with a lot of dogs have two-thirds of the standard burglary rates in surrounding areas and nearly half of homicides. They also measure these numbers with various factors, but it is clear that the presence of a dog is always beneficial to safety.
We don’t need to be convinced how dogs can benefit our families, but now the numbers prove it. Our canine friends provide so much value to our lives!
H/T: wtop.com
