Companion Animals and Your Health

There have been many documented studies on the health benefits of having a pet. Most studies have focused on dogs and cats, but other species--fish, birds, reptiles or amphibians-- provide much comfort too. There is a proven link between pet ownership and living a longer, healthier life. Pets can lower your blood pressure, boost your spirits, ease tension and give you a purpose for living and feeling needed.

How great to come home after a hard day and be greeted by someone who is genuinely happy to see you and who loves you unconditionally. This is especially important to people who live alone. Coming home to someone gives you something to look forward to all day.

Dr. Alan Beck, Director of the Center for Human-Animal Bond at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University, explains that pets help decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation. He says, "A pet is someone to share your life with. There's a lot of people in this world who live alone. As a society, many of us live in apartments in big cities. We may not know our neighbors. We may be separated geographically from our extended families. Maybe we're divorced or widowed and live alone. And so for people in these circumstances, pets can help fill the 'people void' in their lives."

Pets help patients fight illness too, particularly depression. In one study conducted by Dr. Judith Siegel, a professor of public health at UCLA, they found, through a survey of over 1800 men with AIDS, that the men who HAD dogs or cats were about 50 percent more likely to report symptoms of depression than men without AIDS, but men with AIDS who DID NOT own a pet were about 300 percent more likely to report symptoms of depression than men who did not have AIDS. Dr. Siegel's study was one of the largest ever conducted on pet ownership and depression. She stated that her study shows "...there really is something psychologically beneficial about owning and caring for a pet. The benefit is especially pronounced when people are strongly attached to their pets and have few close confidants...Pet ownership is not necessarily a substitute for human support," Dr. Siegel went on to say, "...but it's another way to express and receive love. And that may be just what is necessary to make a difficult situation a little more bearable."

Pets have been shown to DECREASE the blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels and feelings of loneliness. Pets can INCREASE the opportunity to exercise and enjoy outdoor activities and socialization. It is not specifically known when animals were first used to promote physical and psychological health. People with serious disabilities have used horseback riding for centuries. In 1792, animals were used in treatment for mental patients at York retreat in England. Dogs were employed to attempt to reduce the use of harsh drugs and restraints. In 1919, animals were first used in a therapeutic setting in the United States. In Washington, D.C., dogs were used as companions for psychiatric patients. In both circumstances, research showed the animals helped calmed the patients, lessening the amounts of needed medications.

The earliest extensive use of companion animals in the U.S. occurred between 1944 and 1945 at an Army Air Corps Convalescent Hospital in Pawling, New York. Recovering World War II casualties were encouraged to work at hospital-owned farms. They worked with hogs, cattle, horses and poultry, using the animals as outpatient psychotherapy. During the 1970's, case studies with animals facilitating therapy with children and the elderly began.

Today, companion animals of all kinds are used as therapy in various settings. The importance of human-animal interaction has proven invaluable and new areas of potential are being discovered every day.