Human-animal interaction is any interaction between humans and animals: educational outreach or activities that discuss the topic of animals or pets; pets in households; animal visitation from registered therapy animals; animal assisted therapy (AAT) and animal assisted activities (AAA). As part of a mini-symposium highlighting collaborative research opportunities with the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, this presentation discusses the benefits of human-animal interaction and the need for more rigorous evidence-based conclusions in this field.