How Dogs Can Save Your Life in a Crisis

The incredible story of Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, and his dog Bella being rescued after three months at sea, surviving off rainwater and raw fish gripped the world recently, with Shaddock describing Bella as "a lot braver" than him during their time on the Pacific.

In a heartbreaking twist, Shaddock has had to surrender his sailing companion Bella due to Australia's very strict quarantine laws for animals. Shaddock surrendered Bella to Genaro Rosales, a fisherman from Mazatlan who was with the crew that rescued him on the condition that he take good care of her.

Speaking on the matter Shaddock said, "The Australian embassy really made that decision for me."

Shaddock met Bella, a stray, on the streets of Mexico in June 2020, and she stuck to him like glue, despite his occasional efforts to find her a home on land.

Looking after Bella while at sea gave Shaddock a sense of purpose and forced him to focus on something other than his perilous predicament, opening up the conversation about whether having a dog in a life-or-death situation is advantageous.

Newsweek spoke to dog trainer and animal behaviorist Jacqui Zakar, who holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, about whether a dog can increase your chances of survival when stuck in a bind.

The Bond Between Human and Dog

Both dogs and humans are sociable creatures and over many thousands of years of domestication, their bond is now very strong.

There have been many studies done on the positive effect of owning a dog on both human physical health and mental health. A 2019 study in the United Kingdom found that interacting with dogs reduced anxiety and improved mood among college students. Even just watching videos of dogs also had a positive effect.

The COVID-19 pandemic is probably the most studied incident of people looking to dogs for support in times of great stress or danger on a huge global scale.

"From a dog trainer's perspective, one of the most interesting phenomena that occurred during the COVID pandemic was the huge surge in dog adoptions and puppy purchases, many rescues were completely emptied," Zakar told Newsweek, "I think this really shows that in times of crisis, humans seek the comfort of animals, specifically dogs."

Dogs in a Crisis

Dogs are well-documented to be instrumental in saving lives in times of crisis. It is believed that in search and rescue missions, such as the earthquakes in Turkey earlier this year, trained dogs undertook 70 percent of the search.

We know dogs can be trained in behaviors and tasks that can save lives, but what about the psychological effect of having an animal nearby in times of great stress or danger?

"Anxiety is a future-focused state, so in times of great stress or danger it's natural to panic over what may come or the worst-case scenario," said Zakar. "When we have another being we feel responsible for it forces us to be more present. We need to think more logically and problem-solve for the sake of the being we are responsible for. Being present is a major factor in reducing anxiety."

This increase in the ability to think logically in a crisis can be incredibly useful, and reduce panic, and potentially life-threatening decisions.

Dogs' ability to help humans through times of great stress or danger is an area of scientific research where there are understandable gaps. However, a study from 2019 looking into the positive effects of pets on survivors of the 2011 Japanese earthquake disaster made some fascinating discoveries.

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, often referred to as the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, resulted in the deaths of over 18,000 people.

The study compared post-traumatic stress disorder prevalence among pet owners and non-pet owners in survivors and found that PTSD scores were higher in pet owners compared to non-pet owners immediately after the earthquakes, but were lower in pet owners compared to non-pet owners 4.4 years after the disaster.

It suggested that pet ownership may have helped victims after the disaster, reducing anxiety, reinstating routine after the destruction caused by the earthquakes and aiding with symptoms of PTSD such as anxiety and lack of sleep.

Animals are often considered adverse risk factors in disasters due to a human's urge to put themselves and potentially others in danger to ensure the safety of their pets, and often during a disaster or in the immediate aftermath many governments do not have a process in place to rescue pets before humans. This would explain why pet owners experienced higher levels of stress at the time of the disaster in Japan in 2011.

Studies have now shown the positive effect that animal attachment can have on promoting survival and facilitating recovery.

"Animals could play an important role in increasing disaster resilience if public health and emergency officials disseminate disaster preparedness and planning information to vulnerable people," said the 2019 study, "including those experiencing social isolation and those nervous around strangers, facilitate better communication; provide better motivation for vulnerable people to prepare and act; and facilitate recovery by avoiding animal loss and animal-assisted interactions."

There is no doubt that without Bella, Shaddock would have faced severe loneliness after three months at sea. There have been many studies on the effects of owning a pet on loneliness and the mental health issues associated with loneliness. Although further research is needed, many have shown that owning a pet reduces loneliness.

A study from the University of York and the University of Lincoln, both in the U.K., found that having a pet was linked to maintaining better mental health and reducing loneliness. More than 90 percent of the 6,000 respondents said that their pet had helped them cope emotionally with the COVID lockdowns, and 96 percent said their pet had forced them to keep to an exercise regime, also helping their mental health.

"Part of being human is connection," said Zakar, "so it's not hard to see why having a connection with another being we feel responsible for would be a strong motivator for survival if lost at sea, or waiting to be rescued in another life-threatening situation."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.