After centuries of providing social companionship and useful functions for millions of people, companion animals are ‘coming of age’ as legitimate subjects for research concerning their intra- and interspecific behaviour and the role they can play in therapy programmes for various groups of people. As both companion animal section editor of Animal Welfare and as programme chairman of the 7th international conference on human-animal interactions, Animals, Health and Quality of Life, to be held in Geneva, Switzerland, 6-9 September 1995, it is my pleasure to invite our readers to attend this important occasion.