What Pets Can Do: Health and Healing

Just wanted to give my support to all the little ones who need homes at Humane Society's all over. They need you and you may totally enjoy them.
Mommy and Daddy choose me at a breeder but I also could have been at a Humane Society waiting to give to an individual or family. We love and want to be loved. The Holidays are here and there are lots of Rescue Breed Humane Societies if you have your mind made up on a particular breed of dog or cat. They are waiting for you to love and they will love you right back. Roger out, Agent Darien

Thanks for your note. Just reading an article "The Real Benefits of Pet Ownership" by John Bradshaw. "Animals may not make us healthier, but they help bring people together" in the Wall Street Journal of 10/28-10/29 2017 page C3. Good article that uses the expression the "pet effect" as pet owners are making friendships easily in their neighborhoods, etc. Also, with cat owners they group together and cat sit for each other when needed. All good outcomes from our pets.

Article also reported that Dr. John Bradshaw has a new book "The Animals Among Us: How Pets Make Us Human," that was published by Basic Books on October 31, 2017.

Agent Darien says he wants the book for Christmas! Guess Humane Societies rescue humans as well as their pets. We all need and love each other.

Hugs to all and if anyone reads the book I'd love to hear about how they feel about it.

@AgentDarien

Sadie here. I was rescued through the local humane society shelter. I'd had a rough start to my life and I was a nervous wreck when I met Jim. I settled down gradually, and by now, I think I help him with his issues. I'm lucky to be Jim's service dog, cuz I get to go everywhere with him. In fact it's time to go remind him that it's time to go to his appointment with the therapist. His name is Robert, and I like him. He's always saying that I'm the sweetest dog he's ever seen. We always stop at McDonald's on the way and share an ice cream cone. Since Jim overdid it with the desserts over the holidays, he's trying to lose some weight, so I haven't had a cone for a while. I hope he'll break from his diet today. Of course, I need to lose some weight, too, so I haven't been getting many scraps from his plate lately, and he really doesn't give me as much dry food as I think I need.

Gotta go visit Robert. I'll talk more later.

Sadie and Jim

I have always loved and owned dogs - since six years of age. My older brother is a veterinarian, and as I grew up we had many wayward animals in the home. Thorough college, as an adult, and as my husband and I raised five kids, we fostered, adopted and bought dogs.

At age fifty, when severe depression fell from the sky and square into my being, I was personally witness to the healing, active, protective insights embedded in the souls of many dogs.

My personal benefit powered want to provide an opportunity for others to share in the glory.

I now own five different games: two who happily serve as therapy dogs to kids and adults with cancer, as well as kids in an alternative school due to behavioral health challenges.

Words pale. The sumptuous sensation from both feeling the benefit and watching others literally absorb the power is magical.

It is not for all. Not all dogs are appropriate to train for this service Cr. But when the stars align, magic does happen.

Hello @resolve

Thank you for that great story of the healing power of pets to people with all kinds of problems. it sounds as if you have experienced their benefit and they have helped others!

Teresa

I work with a hospice group the used dogs with their patients - another group that uses them

@marylou705
Your loving picture, comments on purring and getting your pets from shelters confirm my own experiences. My dogs and cats have all come from shelters or were found abandoned on the street.

I found my dearly departed siberian husky on the streets. He was terrified and starved. I stopped my car, got out and opened the back door to get some treats. I called him sugarbun, and he cautiously came to me. He saw my old dog, Lobo (10 yrs at the time), in the front passenger seat, then took the treat from my hand and jumped in the back seat. I took him home where he passed the kitty inspection (no growling or hissing- just respectful sniffs), ate all the food presented and then tried to eat he paper plate. I got him to my vet who pronounced him under-nourished needing shots and neutering.

For the next 16 years I was blessed with the best dog, Guapo.

He helped me through a nasty divorce. He helped me move cross country and through many health problems. His kindness towards cats and small animals was amazing. He loved his hikes, and cuddling with me while watching tv. He became best friends with my new husband.
I still miss him but am so happy that he found me that day years ago.

@profnorma My daughter went to volunteer at a pet adoption event a few years back. One little dog was left, with one eye and a tail that was obviously not as long as it should have been so she took her home to "foster" until they could find her a home. Well, we knew that dog had found a home then. That little dog adores my daughter and she and her husband adore the dog. I kid that she will probably be more upset when the dog passes away than she will when one of us do. As they say, "there's a little truth in every jest".
She used to bring the dog to work and the dog would nap in an open drawer. I think the dog has been very good for her, I'm glad she has her.
JK

@profnorma Nice story about your husky... I have had a lot of rescue animals... a lab I had for 17 years, and currently have 3 rescued cats who were all born feral and fostered as kittens... one of them, a sweet calico, coming from a rescue group in Puerto Rico before the recent hurricanes hit. I also have a rescued Tennessee Walker horse that I ride and enjoy. Riding him has helped me rehab after neck spine surgery and rebuild my core strength and lost muscle. I was just before my surgery that I adopted the first cat, and a few months after the 2 kittens and they all helped with my recovery and took naps with me while I was healing. At the time I adopted the first cat, I was a caregiver to my parents toward the end of my father's life, and I needed some comic relief, so I got a silly bottle raised cat who loved attention. He could make me laugh even on the hardest days. I thought he needed some kitty friends and he really enjoys playing with them. They all make me laugh and always want to play.

My husband and I use to take our dog to the nursing home brightened up the patients in there you could see it in there eyes