Introduction

Domestic animals are an integral component of many human leisure experiences, yet have received much less attention than ‘wild’ animals. This chapter sets the scene for the book, noting that domesticated animals exist in human leisure in a variety of ways, from pets in our domestic spaces to dog showing and training, animal farms, and animals we expect to see in a variety of touristic spaces. While human interests in such animal assisted, supported and related leisure have been considered, we are yet to begin to explore notions of ‘animal leisure’; animal needs, interests and their own sentient experiences of leisure. The chapters in this book help to begin to provide a potential pathway to these understandings and are outlined briefly in this chapter.