Creature comforts: Owning a pet can yield surprising health benefits

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Pets are fur-ever friends to millions of people, providing cuteness, company, and lots of cuddles. But there are also distinct health benefits to animal ownership, both physical — such as exercise from walking a dog — and emotional, including increased levels of calming cortisol and the so-called “happiness hormones”: serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. Continue reading at the […]

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Dealing with pet loss: How to help a grieving pet parent

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Since 2012, Dana Topousis has lost four dogs — all young Dobermans — to illness. Galen died of heart disease; the others, Homer, Romeo and Ruthie, succumbed to different cancers. So, she knows grief, which she calls “a lonely thing.” “I live by myself, and my animals are my family, so it takes me a […]

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Pets may help protect brains of older adults as they age, study finds

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Adults over the age of 65 who owned a pet for more than five years scored better on memory tests than non-pet owners, according to a study. The benefits that companion animals have on ageing brains was revealed by the study that was conducted by researchers from the University of Michigan in the US. They […]

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Health Benefits of Owning a Pet

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According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, about 90.5 million homes have at least one pet. Newsinhealth.nih.gov claims that there are emotional and physical benefits to owning a pet. “97% of doctors believe that there are health benefits to owning a pet.” According to habri.org.  There are many emotional benefits to having a pet. Some include decreasing […]

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It feels like dogs know just when we need them most. Well, they might, experts say

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When a family arrived at Koch Funeral Home in State College, Pennsylvania, to identify a loved one before cremation, Monroe took note — staying back to maintain the people’s privacy but ready to offer comfort if asked. Monroe isn’t a grief counselor or therapist. She’s an Australian Shepherd and resident therapy dog at the funeral […]

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Benefits of Living With Companion Animals for Patients With Advanced Cancer

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Living with cancer is stressful enough without patients having to consider the possibility of giving up their beloved pets. Even people who are not ill will say that their pet gives them a reason to get up in the morning, to go outside for a walk, to prepare food at mealtime, or simply to enjoy […]

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Dog owner good news: Petting your dog may lead to stronger memory and better problem solving skills

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Petting a dog leads to increased brain activity, researchers in Switzerland have found — and thus petting a dog and observing it may increase your focus and attention. That’s according to a study recently published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. Lead study author Rahel Marti, a Ph.D. student in clinical psychology and animal-assisted interventions at the University […]

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The Power of Pets: Having an Animal to Love Provides Health Benefits

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If you’ve ever thought that your dog can sense when you’re stressed or struggling, new research says your suspicions are likely true. A new study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that dogs can detect stress in humans. In fact, researchers found that dogs detected the changes with more than 90% accuracy. The dogs […]

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Public Health Student Explores Benefits of Using Pot-bellied Pigs in Animal Therapy

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Anastasia “Anya” Smith, a public health senior at The University of Toledo, fell in love with the two pot-bellied pigs her brother brought to the family’s farm in Monroe, Mich. Then, her mind shifted to her research project on the benefits of animal therapy. “With how cute and friendly they were, I thought they’d be […]

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The Power of Companion Animals and The Benefits of Fostering a Pet

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Kristen Tump found remarkable success in her emerging business career but felt something was missing. That “something” was discovered eight years ago when she adopted her cat, Maddie, from Orphans of the Storm Animal Shelter in Deerfield. As a child, Kristen always wanted to work with animals, originally going to school as a pre-veterinary student. […]

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