“Over 71 million American households [about 62%] have a pet, with most people considering their pets as members of the family (Cadciotti and Zuckerman)”. Pet ownership has become increasingly common. They are often thought of as companions and just another member of the family but they can be so much more. They provide many other great benefits to the people they interact with. “ Some research studies have found that people who have a pet have healthier hearts, stay home sick less often, make fewer [doctor visits], get more exercise, and are less depressed (Cadciotti and Diana Zuckerman)”. Pet owners can definitely see the benefits that come from interacting with animals. They interact with their pets on a daily basis and receive much love …show more content…
These physical benefits can range from certain health issues to simply increase in amount of exercise. Interacting with animals can increase opportunities for exercise and other outdoor activities which are an important aspect of one’s health. For those who have pets such as dogs, walking can be a form of exercise for them. Walking your dog daily can provide good exercise for you and your dog and can also serve as a good bonding experience between you and your dog. The physical benefits for other animals may not seem as obvious. When interviewed, Kim Niggel, executive director of Coastal Therapeutic Riding Program, has seen physical benefits such as an increase in strength and flexibility for horse riders. Additionally, animals can aid in alleviating the effects of health problems that humans face. They can lower blood pressure and also lower the risk of heart disease. Pet writer, Maryann Mott, reported for National Geographic News that “Studies have shown that physiological changes occur when people touch dogs: a drop in heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduced stress.” By touching and interacting with animals, people can reap these benefits. They can even reap these benefits by simply having an animal present within the environment. “ A...study found that having your dog in the room lowered blood pressure better than taking a popular type of blood pressure medication… (Cadciotti …show more content…
Mental health seems to be something that is quite overlooked, but merely by interacting with animals, a person’s level of stress and anxiety can decrease on a daily basis. According to Teoh Hsien-Jin, “The effects of having pets present has been found to generally produce a more positive effect on those who are depressed, suicidal and withdrawn. In addition, some settings have noted that even violent patients have calmed down with the presence of pets (para. 15)”. Even those who may come into the interaction without necessarily liking animals can even grow to share a bond with them and benefit from this. A bond between human and animal can fulfill both human and animal needs. According to Andrea et al., studies have provided “...direct evidence that interaction with a friendly companion animal... [can] positively affect endocrine responses as indicated by changes in the levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, suggesting an attenuation of stress responses via [Human-Animal interaction]. Epinephrine is a crystalline sympathomimetic hormone that is the main blood-pressure raising hormone released by the medulla of the adrenal glands. Norepinephrine is a hormone that causes the constriction of blood vessels and is located in the adrenal medulla, and is an antecedent of epinephrine in its major biosynthetic pathway (Merriam-webster). Although animals can serve as therapy in physical and
For the mass population of pet owners, pets are considered a treasure, so the conversation of how much is to be spend on them is a hot debut. I do agree with Burkhart Bilger's Argument that, “Our love affair with pets our pets has gotten out of control.” but I contend with the ideal that it is a widespread problem. I still insist that owners should show attention and love to their pet but so without the overspending in regards to your income. This topic is brought up in Bilgers’ article “The Last Meow” where he uses different facts, examples, and stories that back up my position.
Most of us are depressed due to physical, psychological and socio-environmental stress. We do have many gateways to suppress our depression. Some may be good and some may be not. When we discuss animal interaction, it excellently works. Keeping an animal at home, daily walking and playing with it elevates maximum stress that makes both physically and mentally fit.
Several studies have examined the effects of dog ownership on people's physical and mental health. Dog ownership produces considerable health benefit and provides social support that encourages dog owners to walk (Cutt et al.2007 ). Pet owners appear to have lower systolic blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels(Anderson et al 1992). Pet owners with serious mental illness living in the community demonstrate higher social community integration(Zimalog and Krupa 2009). Socially excluded participants who performed in the presence of a dog report higher mental well-being compared with socially excluded participants who did not work in the presence of a dog (Nilüfer et al 2012). Although there is evidence suggesting that dog ownership can improve people's physical and mental health, there is little research documenting the psychological and behavioral effects of dog-assisted therapy, especially on elderly patients with dementia, who have dif...
More than half of American households have a pet and this trend is just spreading more and more. The main reason people are keeping pets is for the companionship that pets offer. Normal household pets, such as dogs and cats, offer people the attention and the feeling of always having a companion by one’s side that people may not get from other humans. Pets nowadays are often treated as a regular member of one’s family and people will spend a lot of money for their pets. In 2014, Americans has spent an estimated $58 billion on their pets along with hours of care for them (Yuhas, 1). Regardless of the type of pets people may choose to have there is always a common emotional bond that ties the human with the animal between all loving pet owners. This emotional bond benefits humans in various ways.
Most people are familiar with service dogs and have seen them in action. Animal-assisted therapy is similar service animals in that an animal-human healing partnership is being created. However, the difference is that therapy pets are typically used to treat a mental disability whereas people with physical disabilities use service dogs to help them in many ways. Therapy animals are used in a wide variety of places, such as, hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, therapy sessions, mental healthcare facilities, and even in people’s homes. These amazing animals are used on a wide variety of different disorders, but they are utilized mostly by people suffering from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. For people with these mental health disorders, everything in live can be difficult and challenging, however with the help of animal-assisted therapy, their mood, motivation, and life can dramatically improve. Anyone who hears about these brave, loving animals soon falls in love with them. From a medical standpoint, there have been many successful studies and the support for animal-assisted therapy still continues to grow in doctors and therapists across the nation.
Have you ever wondered how much it costs to have and maintain a pet? Burkhard Bilger, the author of “The Last Meow”, explains how Americans spend a lot of money on their pets and that people's “love affair” with their pets has gotten out of control. An observation I have made is that in many movies dogs are treated very well. When I was younger, I watched a movie called Bratz and one character would always have her dog inside a dog purse and they would even get manicures and pedicures together. The dog always had shiny clothes on and it was always very clean. Therefore, I agree with Bilger's argument that Americans “love affair” with their pets has gotten out of control.
Research has been done in the area of human-animal companionship and security, and stress management. Due to the relative newness of this field and the difficulties in studying it, most research has been concentrated on the elderly, specifically, institutionalized elderly. Pets have been introduced into these settings in order to minimize the negative consequences of institutionalization. Most research has been conducted on the extreme ends of the continuum, either very brief visitation or therapy of resident pets studies (Wrinkler 216).
Most cases of anxiety or depression can be triggered by specific things. In the article “Stressed out student? Get a dog (or cat, or rabbit)” written by Carli Teproff, a student explains that he was diagnosed with extreme depression after his girlfriend died suddenly. He said that he was getting used to being on his own, but was really struggling with the thought of losing her. Teproff writes, “Depression led to a short stay in the hospital, and after speaking with a therapist, he decided that a pet might help him get back on track” (Teproff 1). Some people are affected by a mental illness. These animals not only help those in need, but they can save lives too. There are disabilities that cause owners to have uncontrollable actions and can be extremely harmful to them and those around
There can be no doubt that shelters in the United States are overcrowded, feral cats roam our city streets, thousands of dogs live in grotesque conditions in puppy mills across the country, and yet most American citizens when polled will readily declare that their cat or dog is like ‘a member of the family’. The state of companion animals in this country is precarious at best; caught between scientists who subscribe to Descartes’s idea of ‘anima ex machina’ (unfeeling, a living example of biological processes without the status of ‘being’) and the more common phenomenon of people who pamper their pets in ways that most people would envy. For most individuals living in an urban society such as ours, the most common interaction with animals happens within the home – if the animals that we relate to and interact with the most continue to be abandoned and mistreated on a large scale, there must be some solution that involves more than just building more animal shelters or performing euthanasia more liberally.
In the field of therapy, there are numerous of therapy available out there for different type of individuals and situations as well. There is one type of therapy that usually contains people and animal, it is animal-assisted therapy is a therapeutic approach that brings animals and individuals with physical and/or emotional needs together to perform the therapy. Animal-assisted therapy tend to be focused on individuals either children or elderly for them to be able to connect with the animal thus feeling comfortable talking with the therapist. Pet therapy works for all ages, whether sick or not (Lanchnit, 2011). Although, this paper, most of the focus is on animal-assisted therapy towards children using dogs.
Our current society is a busy one; busy enough that having the time to exercise is a difficult task for many. However, animals, especially dogs, can function as personal trainers: motivating you to go for a walk or run due to their crucial need to release energy. A dog owner who is “responsible for walking their pups… [is] less likely to be obese than dog owners who pass the duty off to someone else or those who don 't own dogs at all” (McCandless). With the inspiration from their pets, even the busiest person will be able to gain their recommended thirty minutes of exercise a day in order to stay healthy. A furry friend may carry thousands of bacteria and allergens, but the exposure of infants to these microbes “can actually influence children’s immune development while reducing the probability of certain allergic diseases” (Borreli). Adults also benefit from contact with the allergens carried on household animals through the reduction of the effects of pet allergies that comes with exposure. Although an individual may not have certain life-threatening diseases at the present time, owning a pet will help increase exercise and boost the immune system in order to prevent future health
Robinson, L., & Seagull, J. (2014, February). The Benefits of Pets: Caring for a Pet Can Make You Happier, Healthier. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/life/pets.htm
For many humans, a pet provides unconditional love and affection. Others feel an overwhelming calming, happy feeling when they are around animals. According to The American Veterinary Medical Association, studies have shown that due to these positive emotions that are stirred, the presence of and interaction with animals can lower heart rates and blood pressure. Animals that meet specific training criteria can become an integral part of a treatment process for a variety of psychological and physiological problems.
Owning a pet can have many physical and mental health benefits. Medical studies show having a pet result's in lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels. Pets have a role in cardiovascular health from lowering blood pressure, and they encourage psychosocial stability in owners, which further reduces the risk of heart disease. In the hectic and fast-paced world we live in today, pets are actually saving our lives. Pets provide an excuse to be active, dogs live an active lifestyle, wanting to play and run around outside. By making us more active and improving our health, dogs often provide a good workout! Instead of sitting on the couch being lazy, dogs are eager to transfer their energy and enthusiasm to the owner benefiting both dog and owner in many ways. Studies show that dogs demonstrate trust and provide comfort to the sick or elderly thus helping people to live longer and to be more positive as they age. Animal owners over 75 years of age have f...
Owning a pet will lengthen your life. People who have the responsibility of the care of an animal