Mental, Physical and Spiritual Health...
The Pet Connection

“Benefits come from the interaction
and connection with a pet.”

Do you want to obtain better spiritual, mental and physical health? Would you like to lower your blood pressure and be able to handle stress more effectively? Would you like to decrease your depression and become more satisfied with your life? What would you spend in time and money for these? No, there is no new magic pill or miracle cure. You don’t have to invest a lot
of time and money into a new self-help movement. You don’t have to spend a load of money on a new life-changing regimen consisting of doctors, therapists, or self-help gurus.

Health Connection

According to the research, all you have to do is get a pet. Studies about heart health two decades ago turned up an interesting fact: the patients with heart problems who had pets seemed to do better than patients without pets. This sparked some interest in the correlation between animal companions and health. Many other studies have been conducted, coming up with the same conclusion – people with heart problems tend to live longer if they have a pet than non-pet owners. A significantly higher number of pet owners who have been hospitalized with heart problems survive at least one year longer after being hospitalized than non-pet owners.

Some studies suggest that pet-owners have fewer trips to the doctor than those who do not have pets. Research has shown that a person’s blood pressure will go down when that person is interacting with an animal companion. The Journal of the American Geriatric Society conducted a study in 1999 with 1,000 men and women subjects. The study concluded that dog and cat owners maintained or had slightly improved Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scores. (ADL’s consist of day-to-day functioning like dressing, bathing, preparation of food, household chores etc.) Additional research and numerous studies show that health is significantly better in people who have pets. It is contemplated that the pet owners continue to have more physical activity because of walking a dog, or engaging in activities of play with a pet.

The Pet Revolution is Hitting Facilities, Agencies and Programs Across the Nation

The “Eden Alternative” is one of the most innovative approaches to therapeutic, mental, physical and spiritual improvement of health. Nursing homes employing this new concept are changing the way they operate by adding pets, plants and children interaction into the living plan. Some of the homes that have switched over to this method of operation have reported a marked reduction in medication dispensed.

Organizations promoting the bond between animals and people through therapeutic contact are springing up everywhere. The Delta Society is an international organization that focuses on validating the role of animals on the health and well-being of people and publicizes the research available supporting these facts. The Delta Society is also the place to go to find out about training your animal for pet assisted therapy in institutions, nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, etc. You can visit The Delta Society website at www.deltasociety.org.

Picking the Right Pet

Benefits come from the interaction and connection with a pet, meaning that the benefits can be derived from owning birds, fish, a lizard, etc. Everyone is different and a pet needs to be suited to its owner. A fish takes less attention than a dog, but can still provide companionship and
enjoyment. Things to consider when picking the pet best suited to you are the original cost of the pet and the supplies needed to take care of the pet, cost of maintenance, time involved in caring for a particular pet and level of care involved.

The Best Places to Find a Pet

If you are interested in getting a pet there are several different ways to find one. The local animal shelter is a great place to find cats and dogs. Many times you will be saving the life of an animal if you obtain it from a shelter. You can find the animal shelters closest to your home online at www.pets911.com. You can also call 1-800-Save-A-Pet (800-728-2738) for information on where to find dogs and cats in your area. The website for Save a Pet is www.1-800-save-a-pet.com

Both websites feature animals from different parts of the country who are looking for a home. Other places to find a new pet are pet stores, the newspaper, and rescue groups.

Having a pet does involve a little work, a little money and a lot of love for both of you. You will find in the end that the benefits of unconditional love received outweigh the work put into owning an animal companion.

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