Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate how relationships between guardians and domestic animals were established and their possible effects during the COVID-19 pandemic period in Brazil.
Methods: Data were collected by completing an online questionnaire. Throughout the national territory, 2002 people completed the questionnaire, while respecting social distancing from January 20, 2021, to March 20, 2021. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were 'to own pets' or 'those who had them during the period of quarantine' in Brazil. The data obtained were treated qualitatively through discourse analysis and content analysis, while the quantitative data were tabulated by the questionnaire application platform itself.
Results: The results showed that 97% of the participants were affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil and that of these, 95.5% stated that their pet was important to overcome and bear bad feelings during the period of social isolation. It was possible to observe through the participants' reports through the online questionnaire that the relationships with their pets were deepened during the pandemic period, and that these had an important role in overcoming bad emotions caused by social distancing.
Conclusion: It was concluded that due to these relationships, behaviors such as anxiety and sadness were reduced and the pets themselves also showed an increase in affective behaviors in relation to their guardians.
Keywords: coronavirus; covid-19; emotional balance; mental health; pets.