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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.

albiback3 | @albiback3 | Jul 9, 2023

I have been married 35 years and in all those years we had so many cats, dogs and Guinea pigs. Although I was the one who brought them home my husband quickly fell in love with them as well as I. We currently have 2 cats, a great dog and occasionally a Guinea pig. We have loved them all and charished their memories. I am blessed to have a great husband and many animals to love without having to choose. When a cat starts to purr or my dog comes to me for reassurance I immediately relax and feel less anxious or depressed. I would not want to ever be without an animal in my life

REPLY
pkh3381 | @pkh3381 | Sep 29, 2023

This is a reply I made to a post about a person losing her support dog: "My boy was Rupert, a basset hound who was with me for 15 1/2 years, but not long enough. He was not technically a service dog, but honestly, he served as such for me. He as a Godsend all through my depression and anxiety disorder bouts, loving me unconditionally, drowning me in those big loving eyes, and cuddling as close to me as possible, reaching up to give me a kiss when I needed it. He was with me through my PTSD from an armed robbery, he was with me in an emotionally and verbally abusive relationship….he was just always there for me whenever and however I needed him. A friend and I were talking one time and he said he was so lonely and he was just dying to find unconditional love……..I told him to GET A DOG, because he would not find that kind of love in a human! LOL! It has been many years since I lost him and I still miss him so much. After I lost him, my biggest mistake was not getting another dog, or a cat. I thought I "wasn't ready", but then Life Happens and so much time went by, and now I am disabled to the point of not really being able to have a dog. But, I was raised around cats, so as soon as I can get myself well enough, I am going on a mission to adopt a cat. I need some life around me. I need that unconditional love again. I am so lonely and alone that I have even answered a couple of spam calls, just to hear a voice. 😉 Pretty sad! LOL! "
❤️ P

REPLY
pkh3381 | @pkh3381 | Sep 29, 2023

This is another reply I made when it was suggested to join this discussion group: [In reply to @colleenyoung "@dorilyn and @pkh3381, I think you would appreciate joining this special discussion for our special fur..." + (show)]
"Oh, I would love to! This discussion brings to mind when my 3 yr old granddaughter had cancer and was in the Phx Children's Hosp. It was always the ultimate highlight to the children patients when dogs would be brought in to visit. Taylor had two dogs at home who were like siblings and she missed them and her twin sister so much, so it was very special for her, as it was to to many other children. And, when she came home to heal, those dogs were always near her, usually snuggled up with her when she slept in the living room, her bedroom, wherever she was. They were her constant companions and support. Animals have such a calming and healing affect on patients. It is a beautiful thing! Thank you for suggesting to me to join this discussion. I am honored to partake.
Thanks again!"
❤️P

REPLY
1 reply
pkh3381 | @pkh3381 | Sep 29, 2023

With a broken heart, I must share with you. My daughter gives me such a hard time. We used to be so close and something happened, and she willl not tell me what, and now she is very difficult and hurtful, and I don't understand why. She just called me [this is a shocker in itself!] about something else and when I heard her dogs in the background, it brought tears to my eyes, because I used to be so close to them, and now I don't see them, or my twin granddaughters. My granddaughters are 18 now and I haven't seen them since grade school. My heart aches. Ok, I apologize. That rambling belongs in the depression and anxiety discussion group, but I just wanted to preface what happened.
Anyway, I am alone and lonely all the time, and I can no longer have a dog because of aging and health issues. When I heard the dogs, I told her that I have decided, if I can get well enough, to get a cat for compansionship. Rather than responding positively, her response was that "when I died she would not be ablt to take the cat and didn't know what she wouold do with it"! OMG! Well, I guess she had better figure it out [I told her that many rescues would take back adopted animals if the owner dies], because if I can get well enough, I AM GOING TO ADOPT A CAT! DANG! 😥
p

REPLY
1 reply
Dorilyn | @dorilyn | Oct 1, 2023
In reply to @pkh3381 "This is another reply I made when it was suggested to join this discussion group: [In..." + (show)
@pkh3381

This is another reply I made when it was suggested to join this discussion group: [In reply to @colleenyoung "@dorilyn and @pkh3381, I think you would appreciate joining this special discussion for our special fur..." + (show)]
"Oh, I would love to! This discussion brings to mind when my 3 yr old granddaughter had cancer and was in the Phx Children's Hosp. It was always the ultimate highlight to the children patients when dogs would be brought in to visit. Taylor had two dogs at home who were like siblings and she missed them and her twin sister so much, so it was very special for her, as it was to to many other children. And, when she came home to heal, those dogs were always near her, usually snuggled up with her when she slept in the living room, her bedroom, wherever she was. They were her constant companions and support. Animals have such a calming and healing affect on patients. It is a beautiful thing! Thank you for suggesting to me to join this discussion. I am honored to partake.
Thanks again!"
❤️P

Jump to this post

Reply to @pkh3381
Thank you for letting me know about this thread. Dogs and all animals have always been so important to me and to my healing. It’s so nice to talk about happy solutions. This is a pic of my former service dog.

REPLY
Dorilyn | @dorilyn | Oct 1, 2023
In reply to @pkh3381 "With a broken heart, I must share with you. My daughter gives me such a hard..." + (show)
@pkh3381

With a broken heart, I must share with you. My daughter gives me such a hard time. We used to be so close and something happened, and she willl not tell me what, and now she is very difficult and hurtful, and I don't understand why. She just called me [this is a shocker in itself!] about something else and when I heard her dogs in the background, it brought tears to my eyes, because I used to be so close to them, and now I don't see them, or my twin granddaughters. My granddaughters are 18 now and I haven't seen them since grade school. My heart aches. Ok, I apologize. That rambling belongs in the depression and anxiety discussion group, but I just wanted to preface what happened.
Anyway, I am alone and lonely all the time, and I can no longer have a dog because of aging and health issues. When I heard the dogs, I told her that I have decided, if I can get well enough, to get a cat for compansionship. Rather than responding positively, her response was that "when I died she would not be ablt to take the cat and didn't know what she wouold do with it"! OMG! Well, I guess she had better figure it out [I told her that many rescues would take back adopted animals if the owner dies], because if I can get well enough, I AM GOING TO ADOPT A CAT! DANG! 😥
p

Jump to this post

Reply @pkh3381
Just read your post and my heart goes out to you. My children no longer talk to me either and it’s a pain no mother should have to face. My kids turned out just like their abusive father. So I can relate to you both at the loss of your children and your dog. I am in the same situation as you with few people if any to talk to. I have a new service dog that I’m trying to train now but it’s difficult for two reasons. The first is she was seriously abused as a puppy and the first few months I had to just give her support and care so she would not be frightened and bite and hide. She was hurt so badly in the spine that she could barely walk. The good news is she has recovered considerable use of her legs and back and is living a fairly normal dog life now and her aggression has disappeared and she is a very sweet and loving dog. The second problem is when she was younger she got away with everything and to say anything derogatory to her she would just pee on the floor because she was so scared. So now she’s not scared but she thinks she can do everything she wants to lol and I am mostly bedridden so it’s been a real tough time trying to train her. I’ve trained animals all my life , but never had anything this difficult because of my illness. Sometimes I think she’d be better off with someone else. Because I would love to take her on long walks, but I just can’t. Although she is seems to be happy enough and I think she will as she gets older, gradually fit into a service dog role. I have a big yard for her to run in so she does get lots of exercise. Anyway, I am absolutely positive that if there’s any way at all, you will get a cat. There are so many in shelters that need homes and cats can be supportive in, many many ways. If you would like to talk to me because you are lonely, feel free to reach out anytime I am rooting for you and your future cat. If you can afford it, you can buy the machines that clean the litter boxes for you which would make things much easier. I have a friend who I have given my animals too when I die. I know this particular person will find a new home that is appropriate for any animal I might have. Perhaps you could do the same. You can specify this in your will also. Good luck with your new cat my heart and prayers go out to you.

REPLY
1 reply
pkh3381 | @pkh3381 | Oct 1, 2023
In reply to @dorilyn "Reply @pkh3381 Just read your post and my heart goes out to you. My children no..." + (show)
@dorilyn

Reply @pkh3381
Just read your post and my heart goes out to you. My children no longer talk to me either and it’s a pain no mother should have to face. My kids turned out just like their abusive father. So I can relate to you both at the loss of your children and your dog. I am in the same situation as you with few people if any to talk to. I have a new service dog that I’m trying to train now but it’s difficult for two reasons. The first is she was seriously abused as a puppy and the first few months I had to just give her support and care so she would not be frightened and bite and hide. She was hurt so badly in the spine that she could barely walk. The good news is she has recovered considerable use of her legs and back and is living a fairly normal dog life now and her aggression has disappeared and she is a very sweet and loving dog. The second problem is when she was younger she got away with everything and to say anything derogatory to her she would just pee on the floor because she was so scared. So now she’s not scared but she thinks she can do everything she wants to lol and I am mostly bedridden so it’s been a real tough time trying to train her. I’ve trained animals all my life , but never had anything this difficult because of my illness. Sometimes I think she’d be better off with someone else. Because I would love to take her on long walks, but I just can’t. Although she is seems to be happy enough and I think she will as she gets older, gradually fit into a service dog role. I have a big yard for her to run in so she does get lots of exercise. Anyway, I am absolutely positive that if there’s any way at all, you will get a cat. There are so many in shelters that need homes and cats can be supportive in, many many ways. If you would like to talk to me because you are lonely, feel free to reach out anytime I am rooting for you and your future cat. If you can afford it, you can buy the machines that clean the litter boxes for you which would make things much easier. I have a friend who I have given my animals too when I die. I know this particular person will find a new home that is appropriate for any animal I might have. Perhaps you could do the same. You can specify this in your will also. Good luck with your new cat my heart and prayers go out to you.

Jump to this post

Thank you so much for your words of empathy and support. I am finding more and more of us parents are encountering the same types of problems with our children abandoning us in many ways, and it is so painful. You understand. I admire you taking on the training of this abused dog and kudos to you for loving her enough to turn her around, but I can see you are still dealing with the undoing of her past in other ways! LOL! Thanks also for the tips about satisfying my daughter's concerns while still getting a cat. Very helpful. Back at'cha if you ever need to talk!
Good luck with the current problems with your doggie!
❤️P

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