Living With Pets Research Paper

Living With Pets Improves Their Owners Health From dogs to cats, horses to fish, pets come in all shapes and sizes. A number of people have many pets, others have only a few, while some choose to not have any. Having pets and taking care of them can sometimes be a tremendous amount of work, but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Pets can be trained as service animals to foster independence to those who need help with daily tasks. Pets can be used to speed up the healing process in hospitals and care centers. When pets are properly taken care of they provide unconditional love and support to their owners. Living with pets improves their owners health and happiness. People who own pets have a healthier heart and are at less risk of cardiovascular disease. "Pet ownership, particularly dog …show more content…
Going to a dog park, pet show, animal club or other gatherings where pet owners socialize, allows for meeting new people with similar interests. People who regularly exercise with their pets have a decreased risk of obesity and have a healthier lifestyle. This boosts self esteem and confidence and makes people feel better about themselves and their appearance. Also, pets, dogs in particular have been known to visit hospitals and help patients with the healing process. Patients who have visits from dogs or other pets appear happier and are in better spirits when the animals leave than before the visit. One study shows, that in the United States only 3 of 53 pet owning patients recovering from heart surgery in a year died. This is compared to 11 of 39 non pet owning patients dying in a year, recovering from heart surgeries (Gunter 70). Dogs have also been trained to help those in need as service animals, allowing for people who otherwise couldn 't live alone to reside by themselves, leading to