Owning a pet is one of the world’s simple pleasures. Having a companion that you know will always be there and give unconditional love is extremely satisfying. Because of so much diversity, there are so many different types of pets to own in a lifetime, a different kind of pet for so many different types of people.
I, myself have owned four hamsters, two dogs, two birds, an aquarium of fish, and three rabbits. Each one of those pets has brought my family and me much happiness.
Not only do pets help emotionally, but they have a health benefit as well. A pet decreases the risk of developing future health problems. Owning a pet releases endorphins (happy chemicals) in the brain that causes the body to be under less stressed and happier.
People who own pets are also less likely to develop mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In many rehabilitation facilities and improvement centers, there are days where patients get to play with puppies and kittens. Being able to play with a cute, fuzzy animal reduces the pain for the patients and causes them to be at ease during the day. At the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, for example, the facility is using dogs to help soldiers overcome their PTSD.
Owning a pet like a dog, means that they are going to need daily exercise, like walking around the neighborhood. Having to take care of a pet encourages the owner to get a lot more exercise than they would if they didn’t have an animal to take care of.
A pet also allows the owner to make new friends and become more sociable with strangers and neighbors in the neighborhood. When dog owners walk their dogs, it is an extremely high chance that they will run into another person walking their own dog. Thus causing a domino effect; the dogs stops to sniff, the owners are bound to say something to the other pet owner. Otherwise, that’d just be awkward…
Living life without a pet is okay, but living with a sweet, cuddly, furry friend makes life just a little bit more pleasing.
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