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What Pets Can Do: Health and Healing

Posted by Colleen Young, Connect Director @colleenyoung, Sep 15, 2017

I was visiting a community hospital recently, waiting in line for a coffee. Across the lobby was a large, beautiful dog. As visitors and patients stopped to pet the dog and talk with the owner, you could literally see how their faces lit up with smiles and their bodies relaxed.

In the week leading up to exams at my daughter's school, they bring in therapy dogs for the students to interact with. It helps reduce anxiety at a very stressful time for students. For many people, animals provide countless health benefits.

Cats, dogs, birds, fish, hamsters: How have animals comforted you, helped with recovery or promoted good health for you?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Just Want to Talk Support Group.

Parus | @parus | Jul 8, 2019
In reply to @merpreb "Crows, male and female cardinals, bluejay, song sparrows, grackle, maybe a white breasted nut hatch? Beautiful..." + (show)
@merpreb

Crows, male and female cardinals, bluejay, song sparrows, grackle, maybe a white breasted nut hatch? Beautiful drawing @parus.

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@merpreb Knew I could count on you!!! I am now wanting to do one with only crows. I think they oft get a bad rap. They are the watch dogs!!!

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John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Jul 8, 2019
In reply to @parus "@merpreb Knew I could count on you!!! I am now wanting to do one with only..." + (show)
@parus

@merpreb Knew I could count on you!!! I am now wanting to do one with only crows. I think they oft get a bad rap. They are the watch dogs!!!

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Me thinks I also see a hummingbird ☺

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lioness | @lioness | Jul 8, 2019
In reply to @parus "@lioness Look again for a Blue Jay. It is there." + (show)
@parus

@lioness Look again for a Blue Jay. It is there.

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@parus o.k, take another look in eastern USA they are different then in Calif. We where in the Mts. onetime and my son had to tell me what kind of a bird that was , it was blue but no toppy

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lioness | @lioness | Jul 8, 2019
In reply to @parus "Hello connect friends. I no longer have house pets of any type. I do enjoy the..." + (show)
@parus

Hello connect friends. I no longer have house pets of any type. I do enjoy the wild birds outside my window. I did a drawing recently of some of my wild feathered friends. Can you find some you may know???
Hey, it did help to stop by for a while. Thanks to all!!!

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@parus o..k. now I see it also a pigeon I didn't see before

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Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Jul 9, 2019

@parus your artwork is so beautiful! And you are so talented!! Thank you for showing us

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Becky, Volunteer Mentor | @becsbuddy | Jul 9, 2019

@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued our dog, Peaches, the year that my dad, my MIL, and a friend were all at the same end of life point. Peaches needed so much from us, so really, she added to the stress. But she gave us a lot of joy, too, wanting to go to the park and snuggle. My dad, MIL, and friend all died that year, so Peaches was our stressful comfort. For the past 18-20 months of my illness, she has been a super-Velcro dog. Her anxiety levels were out the roof if she couldn’t find me. But she always wanted me to sit on the sofa and cuddle. She became deaf and blind but could still find her way around. She was incontinent and wouldn’t eat. So Sunday we decided we had to put her to sleep. She’s in a better place and I’m in a safer place because she can’t trip me anymore. RIP Peaches

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Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Jul 9, 2019

@becsbuddy So sorry for your loss, her death must carry memories of the other deaths you encountered after she became part of your family.

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lioness | @lioness | Jul 10, 2019
In reply to @becsbuddy "@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued..." + (show)
@becsbuddy

@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued our dog, Peaches, the year that my dad, my MIL, and a friend were all at the same end of life point. Peaches needed so much from us, so really, she added to the stress. But she gave us a lot of joy, too, wanting to go to the park and snuggle. My dad, MIL, and friend all died that year, so Peaches was our stressful comfort. For the past 18-20 months of my illness, she has been a super-Velcro dog. Her anxiety levels were out the roof if she couldn’t find me. But she always wanted me to sit on the sofa and cuddle. She became deaf and blind but could still find her way around. She was incontinent and wouldn’t eat. So Sunday we decided we had to put her to sleep. She’s in a better place and I’m in a safer place because she can’t trip me anymore. RIP Peaches

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@becsbuddy I'm so sorry for your loss a member of the family . I had to put my dog down he was my buddy. When I was sick he stuck like glue to me same with my husband . When I fractured my back he fell of my bed and fractured his hip. He couldn't hear anymore 15 yrs. old and I couldn't take care of him so had him put to sleep so emotional isn't it .

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Mentor
Jennifer, Volunteer Mentor | @jenniferhunter | Jul 10, 2019
In reply to @becsbuddy "@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued..." + (show)
@becsbuddy

@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued our dog, Peaches, the year that my dad, my MIL, and a friend were all at the same end of life point. Peaches needed so much from us, so really, she added to the stress. But she gave us a lot of joy, too, wanting to go to the park and snuggle. My dad, MIL, and friend all died that year, so Peaches was our stressful comfort. For the past 18-20 months of my illness, she has been a super-Velcro dog. Her anxiety levels were out the roof if she couldn’t find me. But she always wanted me to sit on the sofa and cuddle. She became deaf and blind but could still find her way around. She was incontinent and wouldn’t eat. So Sunday we decided we had to put her to sleep. She’s in a better place and I’m in a safer place because she can’t trip me anymore. RIP Peaches

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@becsbuddy Becky, I think they let you know when it's time. I've been there too and took care of my lab until he was 18 and he gave up. I'm sure he had Lyme disease and the vets missed it as that was a while ago before they were treating dogs for it. I used to have to hold him up by the tail because the back end was spastic and carry him outside. Even though it was hard, I took care of him as long as he was happy to be there. My lab was a rescue too. Hugs to you.

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JK | @contentandwell | Jul 10, 2019
In reply to @parus "Hello connect friends. I no longer have house pets of any type. I do enjoy the..." + (show)
@parus

Hello connect friends. I no longer have house pets of any type. I do enjoy the wild birds outside my window. I did a drawing recently of some of my wild feathered friends. Can you find some you may know???
Hey, it did help to stop by for a while. Thanks to all!!!

Jump to this post

@parus Beautiful! Not being in color, the only bird I recognize is the blue jay by the crest on its head. I really do not know that much about birds despite there being many around me.

@johnbishop I really do not understand why we never see rabbits here! I have never seen one in the yard at all. Maybe the fox, bear, fisher cats, etc., eat them. 🙁
JK

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