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Associate Professor Bruce HeadeyUniversity of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Animals, Community Health and Public Policy Symposium, 27th November 1998 Results from the German Socio-Economic Panel Survey (N=13400) indicate linkages between dog and cat ownership and lower use of health services. These linkages were initially found in small-scale Australian, American and British studies, a few of which had prospective designs and thus suggested causal links rather than just statistical associations (Anderson et al, 1992; Friedman et al, 1980; Friedman, 1995; Serpell, 1991; Siegel, 1990). The first national survey to find a moderate statistical relationship was the Australian People and Pets Survey (Headey,1995). However, the methodology of some of the studies has been criticised and not all have found the hypothesised relationships (Beck & Katcher, 1984; Jorm et al, 1997; Wright & Moore, 1982). The German results show dog and cat owners making 16% fewer annual doctor visits and spending 21% fewer days in hospital than non-owners. Benefits appear particularly strong for men over 65. Results relating to doctor visits are statistically significant at the 0.01 level, controlling for sex, age and income.