| |
les Stress
-> Questions & Answers
<< return
to previous page
PET SCAN
Hi Les,
I live in NYC and I am trying to decide if I should get a dog for company and stress management. I live in a small apartment like many New Yorkers and I am concerned that what seems like a good idea now will not seem so later when two warm bodies, six legs and fur balls are occupying one room. Could you shed (pun intended) any light on the stress part of this equation so that it might help me make a decision?
Much appreciated,
LL
Hi LL,
There’s a lot of tail wagging data when pets are part of the stress management mix. This includes pioneering pet therapy studies from Brooklyn College where researcher Erika Friedman found that dog and cat owning cardiac patients survived longer than pet-less people with heart problems. She also found that older people with pets went to the doctor less, and in general, positive changes in heart rate, blood pressure and mood were seen in both man and beast when the two got together. Today, Fido and Whiskers are working to counter loneliness, depression and anger in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, prisons and offices. There are also the potential physical and social side benefits of walking one’s dog and meeting admirers along the way.
LL, you deserve a yummy treat for carefully considering your decision before you make it. The warm and fuzzy findings above don’t take into account the potentially-stressful counterweights of pet ownership: dog walking, feeding and poop scooping obligations, pet sitting and kennel services, the financial cost of having someone else do all that, turf issues between you and your canine, property damage, interrupted sleep, vet bills and maybe neighbors unhappy with barking and the pitter-patter of lots of little feet.
I hope that adopting a dog from one of the many NYC-area animal shelter, rescue and foster care organizations is part of your consideration. These groups are also expert resources for helping you to determine what’s best for you and your possible pet.
See you at the dog run, maybe,
Les
6/08
|
|
|
