Lisa Milot, professor of canine welfare law in the School of Law, spoke with Newsweek about a new survey revealing that many Americans do not trust their neighbors with their pets.

In the survey, about 66% of people strongly agreed with the statement that they consider their pets to be part of the family. Only 5% of the 1,000 participants said they would entrust their pets with their neighbors.

The study found that the sentiment was held by pet parents across generations.

Milot theorizes that the trend is present because people are more transient these days. Remote work and flexible schedules have allowed people to live in new areas, many times bouncing from city to city. As people become more likely to move, so does the likelihood of having a new set of neighbors.

The survey also revealed that people are likely to trust family members to watch their pets, a trend Milot credits to adult children living with their parents more often.

“Because of the cost of housing, a lot of millennials and younger generations are living at home,” she said. “There is less of a need for an outsider to watch your pet.”

While only 7% of respondents said that they would choose a pet sitter, Milot believes the option outranks neighbors because sitters are often expected to have insurance and a certain level of expertise.

“Even though pet sitters might have the same expertise as neighbors, we think of them as a step up from that,” she said.