Many of you recognize the joy that your pets bring to your life. Did you know that having a pet makes you a physically and emotionally healthier person? Over the past two decades physicians and psychologists have been studying the human-animal bond and its effect on our health and sense of well being. They have uncovered many benefits that we receive from our pet:

• People with pets seek medical attention for minor health problems less frequently.
• People with pets have lower blood pressure and reduced stress levels compared to the general population.
• People with pets recover faster from serious illnesses.
• People with pets have an increased survival rate of heart attacks.
• Senior citizens with pets have an improved quality of life.
• Children and adolescents in homes with pets have increased self esteem, improved social skills, and a higher level of emotional stability.
• Pets aid in the development of nurturing behavior and humane attitude in children.
• Pets help patients in psychiatric institutions work through anxiety and despair.
• Developmentally challenged children with animal companions have improved balance, coordination, mobility, muscular strength, posture, and language ability.

Although it is unclear for what reasons pets influence our health, scientists speculate that people with pets get more exercise and benefit emotionally from caring for another living creature. No matter what the mechanism, clearly pets have a positive impact on our health, especially in the areas of heart disease, recovery from major illnesses, and overall emotional stability. Only recently have we begun to truly understand how important our pets are to our complete family health and well being.