Commitment to pets is introduced and defined. Commitment to pets overl
aps the construct of attachment to pets but adds to our developing und
erstanding of the human-animal bond. Commitment is operationalized as
a resolve to keep a pet in spite of challenges that require expenditur
es of personal resources. The Miller-Rada Commitment to Pets Scale mea
sures commitment, has high internal consistency, demonstrates construc
t validity, and correlates with attachment (r=.44). The Miller-Rada Co
mmitment to Pets Scale requires further research and may have potentia
l for educating prospective pet owners as well as further elucidating
the pet/human relationship.