Pets help combat the mental health crisis in Brazilian companies

Currently, Brazil faces the worst mental health crisis in its history. According to data that were made available by the National Institute of Social Security (INSS), only in 2024, more than 472 thousand workers needed to be removed for psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression and burnout, which represents an increase of 68% compared to 2023.

The removals have lasted, on average, three months, with monthly cost of R$1,900 per employee, totaling more than R$3 billion in direct economic impact to public coffers in the last year. Faced with this scenario, companies have sought innovative solutions to promote the well-being of their employees and one of them comes from the pet world. With more than 160 million pets, Brazil is the third largest pet market in the world, and pets have been proving to be powerful allies in the emotional health of people.

“Studies show that living with animals reduces stress levels, improves mood, decreases anxiety and increases the sense of well-being. This directly reflects in greater productivity and engagement in the corporate environment”, he says Rodrigo Gomes, co-founder and CEO of Budz, a Brazilian pet tech that uses artificial intelligence to empower tutors in the care of their pets.

According to the Waltham Pet Care Science Institute for Animal Research, having and caring for a pet, such as dogs and cats, can increase the presence of oxytocin - known as the love hormone - and decrease stress levels in the body Edellman Intelligence with HABRI and Mars Petcare it revealed that 80% of people feel less lonely when living with a pet.

In this sense, Rodrigo explains that a person who lives more often with his pet, can have a possible improvement of his mental health and well-being in general, therefore finding a better balance between personal and professional life.

For Jaimes Almeida Neto, co-founder and CRO of Budz, companies that offer mental health support programs and recognize the importance of pet in the life of the employee gain competitive advantage and attract talent. With more than 150 thousand active users, Budz stands out as one of the main pet techs in the country, offering solutions that integrate animal welfare, technology and innovation, including as a corporate benefit.

“Organizations that already adopt pet-friendly welfare policies report several concrete benefits, such as greater talent retention, strengthening organizational culture and more motivated and healthy employees. The mental health crisis in Brazil is a growing challenge, but an opportunity for social and business innovation. And, in this scenario, pets are consolidated as an essential part of the” solution, concludes Jaimes.