PEOPLE AND THEIR COMPANY ANIMALS

FACILITATING POSSIBILITIES OF WELL-BEING DURING THE NEW CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Abstract

In December 2019, humanity was surprised by the new coronavirus, an acute and severe respiratory syndrome, understood as a mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Immediately, great efforts were made by the population in the attempt to control the transmission of the virus having as its main attitude the isolation and collective social distance. If, on the one hand, the distance between human beings resulted in a series of effects and significant experiences in interpersonal relationships, in general, living with their companion animals seems to have stimulated and strengthened affective bonds and the constant presence between a species and other. Taking this brief explanation as a starting point, this research seeks to understand how companion animals can facilitate their guardians' welfare processes during the new coronavirus pandemic. In this sense, the purpose of this article is to understand the conditions that facilitate the search for well-being between humans and their companion animals during the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative research method of exploratory and phenomenological nature was used based on bibliographic references and virtual documents. For the analysis of the data obtained, we resorted to readings and theoretical deepening through the bias of the Person-Centered Approach (PCA) in interface with the Psychology of Phenomenological Inspiration. Therefore, this work interacts with the expectation that the coexistence and relationship between people and their companion animals during the new coronavirus pandemic is a promoter of emotional well-being for human beings.