We wanted to learn more about the health benefits of having a pet, so we went straight to the source: Animal Planet.
According to the animal experts over at the TV network, keeping a pet has these five health benefits:
- Helps prevent allergies in children.
- Improves interpersonal skills in social settings (“Hey, cute dog!”).
- Encourages physical fitness, specifically cardiac activities.
- Promotes weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.
- Provides comfort and understanding, especially to people who may have a hard time connecting with other humans.
While it’s hard to classify these benefits as “pet therapy,” for pet owners, it can sometimes feel like therapy. The term “pet therapy” is fairly broad. Animal-assisted therapy and other animal-assisted activities both fall under this umbrella.
What’s the difference?
According to the Mayo Clinic: “Animal-assisted therapy is a growing field that uses dogs or other animals to help people recover from or better cope with health problems, such as heart disease, cancer, and mental health disorders. Animal-assisted activities, on the other hand, have a more general purpose, such as providing comfort and enjoyment for nursing home residents.”
These trained animals can significantly reduce pain, anxiety, depression, and fatigue in people with a range of health problems:
- People receiving cancer treatment
- People in long-term care facilities
- People hospitalized with chronic heart failure
- Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder
And, the short answer is “yes, probably” animals will be able to help people who suffer from stress, anxiety, or depression. One more reason to visit your local shelter!
