People Have More Sympathy for Dogs Than Humans

The latest study involved 240 men and women, most of whom were white and between the ages of 18 and 25, at a large northeastern university. The participants randomly received one of four fictional news articles about the beating of a one-year-old child, an adult in his thirties, a puppy, or a 6-year-old dog. Researchers said the stories were identical except for the victim’s identity.  Participants were asked to rate their feeling of empathy towards the victim after reading the story.