I would never actually want a pet, though, if I didn't have a job for it to do, like guard chickens, catch rats, or scare away the delivery guy. And I get distinctly uncomfortable when someone pushes their dog around in a baby stroller or calls it their child. (Your child just dropped a bomb on the sidewalk, lady.)
But I also suspect that my mom's dog was her dearest companion in the last years of her life and that a certain in-law would find it easier to escape his funk if some fluffy little puppy licked him awake every morning.
There's plenty of research that suggests pets have a therapeutic effect. And as disgusting as I find their slobbery, stinky breath to be, the germs they carry around might even be good for us according to reporter Amy Denney. Then again, Denney has a dog and six chickens with names, so her objectivity is a bit suspect. (She does eat all the eggs though, so maybe she's okay).
"Previous studies have found pets can reduce stress, prevent heart disease, and lower blood pressure, depression, asthma, allergies, and obesity," reports Denney.
According to a recent meta-analysis of several studies on pet ownership she cites, pets help us achieve a balance of microscopic bugs, or microbial homeostasis.
"Microbial homeostasis indicates that the balance of microorganisms living in one's gut is favorable for preventing an overgrowth of disease-causing bugs," reports Denney.
Having a dog is also linked to a lower risk of Crohn's disease and pathogen-driven illnesses.
Of course, we can also get unwelcome bugs from pets, not to mention some truly stinky "kisses."
But apparently, the benefits outweigh the risks for most people, at least according to the study authors.
While these researchers claimed they did not have any conflicts of interest, none indicated their actual pet ownership, nor whether they have ever threatened to leave everything to the dog. I suspect many of them are unabashed belly rubbers.
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