The Comfort–Safety dilemma: How Pet Owners and Other Urban Dwellers Perceive Problems of the Urban Environment

Introduction.The relevance of the study is due to the contradiction between the growing demands of pet owners for specialized infrastructure and the demands of other citizens for cleanliness and safety. The purpose of the work is to characterize the perception of urban environment problems by pet owners and other residents of Saransk, identify the main points of tension and suggest ways to overcome them. Materials and methods.The empirical basis was compiled by a pilot questionnaire survey of Saransk residents conducted in May 2025 (n = 120). The sample is quota-based, representing the city's population over the age of 18 by gender and age. Data collection is an online survey. Pearson's χ2 criterion was applied to assess the statistical significance of differences in the responses of the groups. Results. The assessment of the comfort of the environment, difficulties in owning animals, conflict practices, attitudes towards stray animals and measures to control their numbers were analyzed. It has been revealed that, despite the absence of massive open negativity, there is a hidden conflict potential associated with low awareness of existing infrastructure, non-compliance with walking rules and the perception of stray animals as a threat to safety. Discussion and Conclusions. The study discusses ways to mitigate the dilemma through infrastructure development, educational work, and the involvement of both groups in urban planning, rule control, and support for humane programs to regulate the number of stray animals.