Pets And Your Health

This is Murphy (aka “Murph Turf” aka “Murphy the Wonder Mutt”)

Murphy was my dream come true—the dog I adamantly announced to my then-boyfriend (now husband) when we moved in together that I had to have. I was never allowed a pet as a child and 50 years later, I still hold a grudge.

My husband is not an animal guy, but he is a very good sport. So, we drove upstate to pick up our beautiful, teeny tiny Yorkie who adapted perfectly to our teeny tiny apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

She was amazing and brought tremendous joy into our lives. As our family grew over the next 13 years, our days were filled with wet, warm kisses and delicious snuggles from our very easygoing, furry companion. But as is often the case, the end of her life became painful for her to endure—and us to witness. We put her down once she could no longer see, hear, stand on her own, or eat. It was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to do, but we did it because we loved her, and we knew it was best. I didn’t think I’d ever get over the heartache and swore off dogs forever.

My self-imposed “no-dog” policy lasted about six months.

This is Buddy (aka “Boo-Boo Boy” aka “Bud Boy” aka “NO, BUDDY!”)

Buddy won our hearts with a drastically different strategy comprising lots of mischief that on more than one occasion ended with him having his stomach pumped—because once a dog figures out how to open a child-proof lock, it’s a whole different ballgame. But Buddy kept us on our toes and held our hearts in the palm of his paws for eight years, until his cancer stopped responding to the chemo and his pain wasn’t fair to prolong.

The one thing these two very different animals had in common was the immense and intense joy they brought to our whole family. What we weren’t aware of at the time were the additional benefits—both physical and emotional—pets provide.

According to the National Institutes of Health, interacting with animals has been shown to decrease cortisol levels and lower blood pressure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say sharing your life with a pet can decrease cholesterol and triglyceride levels, in addition to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and symptoms of PTSD. And owning a pet for five years or longer has been linked to slower cognitive decline in older adults.

Not to mention the role having a pet plays when it comes to raising gentle, caring, and responsible children. I don’t have a study pointing to stats on this front, but it doesn‘t take a genius to know that when kids play an active role in caring for another living being at a young age, it helps foster the development of empathy and gives them a meaningful sense of responsibility and purpose they may not have otherwise.

Now it’s my husband who has sworn off dogs, but for a very different reason—with children who are older and more independent, and no dog crying to go out at midnight, he is enjoying his newfound “freedom” to not walk a dog during a snowstorm.

I get it. But I wouldn’t trade the time we had with our precious pups for anything in the world.

• Can I be a good pet owner with ADHD?
• The many perks of pet ownership.
• Northwell’s comprehensive approach to heart health.