Pets & Mental Health
How pets help people cope during a pandemic
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), along with the enjoyment they provide, pets offer a variety of health benefits, including:
- Decreased blood pressure
- Lowered cholesterol levels
- Decreased levels of triglycerides, a type of fat in your body
- Reduced feelings of loneliness
- Increased opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities
- Improved opportunities for social connection
Pet Love
"The increase of adoption of pets has been seen nationwide and I can see why as they provide love, comfort, entertainment, and more. Pets have been studied and it is a known fact that they lower stress, increase people in the positive direction, keep people active, and have many more benefits."
"Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind as meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer." - Dean Koontz
Anecdotal evidence as well as scientific studies support pet owners' assertions that our animals provide us with incredible mental and emotional support. For many, the isolation of the pandemic would have been much worse without an animal companion. This page is dedicated to stories about pets' effect on mental health.
Gia's Soft Fur
"I will always remember the feeling of my dog Gia's soft fur and the tickle and wetness of her silky tongue licking my hand during this pandemic. These sensory experiences soothed me during a stressful and anxiety-ridden time during the COVID pandemic."
Doggy Love for Patient!
By that point, I had been in the hospital for three weeks and we had got a prescription for me to be able to bring my dogs in order to cheer me up. My husband brought me our dogs Little Man (Miniature Dauschuand) and Lady (Whippet Terrier Mix). I was so happy to see them that I cried.
How your furry friends (pets) at home help
Pet companion meets your inner needs (not bored or depressed)
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. - Bernard Williams
We long for an affection altogether ignorant of our faults. Heaven has accorded this to us in the uncritical canine attachment. - George Eliot
Sometimes the best medicine is a dog who thinks their love can cure you. - Ruth Roberts
Because he never asks me to change while taking care of me. He's okay with me. And I'm learning how to be okay with me as well from him. - Yash Pandit
