Beyond the Home: How Pet Ownership Drives Stray Animal Rescue Willingness Through Empathy and Moral Obligation

Huanhua Lu¹Zaina Jianaer¹Ruihan Chen¹Yiqing Lu^2*

• ¹China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China
• ²Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Beijing, China

The global stray animal crisis poses significant challenges to animal welfare, public health, and community harmony. Understanding the public's willingness to rescue stray animals is therefore critical for developing effective interventions. Integrating insights from veterinary humanities and social sciences, this study examines how the human-companion animal bond, operationalized as pet ownership experience, influences rescue willingness through a sequential psychological process. Data from 447 Chinese participants were collected via questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results revealed that pet ownership experience significantly increased rescue willingness by enhancing perceptions of stray animals' cuteness and suffering, which subsequently boosted animal empathy and moral obligation. A notable dual-path effect was found for perceived health risk: while it generally suppressed rescue willingness by diminishing empathy and obligation, it also showed a positive direct effect, suggesting that high risk perceptions might highlight situational urgency for some individuals. These findings underscore that the bond formed with companion pets can be a powerful catalyst for broader animal welfare engagement. For veterinary professionals and animal welfare organizations, this study suggests that outreach strategies should leverage positive cognitive appraisals, empathetic responses, and a sense of moral responsibility, while simultaneously addressing health concerns through public education on safe rescue practices.