Johnson: Pets, owners have win-win relationship

The relationship between pets and their people can sometimes feel a little one-sided considering it is the two-legged animal that ends up doing most of the work and investing all the money.

In search of ponies

Indeed, maintaining a good feeding schedule, taking them for walks or changing litter boxes, cleaning cages, making sure they stay well-groomed, scheduling, making it to and paying for vet visits are just the basics.

In exchange, critters show love and adoration, provide the comfort of having another living soul around, amuse and entertain and more — and for pet people those are the things that make it all worthwhile, providing plenty of justification for the investment of time, money and effort that caring for them entails.

In recent years, however, science has increasingly touted the less obvious but often quite profound benefits sharing a life with pets can have.

The growing knowledge of what animals can do for humans has fueled the popularity of a wide array of successful therapy concepts. Working with dogs, horses, dolphins and other critters has been shown numerous times to directly and positively change the lives of those struggling with mental and emotional conditions as well as those with physical impairments.

Beyond programs that pair humans and animals, study after study has shown that living with pets and spending time with animals directly improves people’s physical health.

To name a few ways critters have been credited with helping out, in recent years, researchers have said allergies are less likely for children raised in homes with pets, spending time with pets lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels, obesity and weight issues are reduced and stress levels drop significantly.

Positive news backed by scientific proof that pets are beneficial to have around is great justification for pet folks — not that they needed proof because they already knew their lives were better with critters — increasing a general understanding that there is a lot of good that can come from having pets.

The scenario has not just been about people reaping the rewards, however, and as knowledge of benefits pets bring to their humans increases, it turns out the benefits for pets do, too.

Knowledge of scientific research that points to pets improving the health and well being of their owners has a direct impact on how owners, in turn, care for their pets, motivating them to take better care of their animals, according to the results of a survey released Thursday by the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI).

Almost 90 percent of the pet owners that participated in the survey said they are more likely to take better care of their pets because they are aware of scientific research touting the health benefits of pet ownership.

The survey explored several aspects of the ways in which pet owners care for their animals and found that 88 percent were more likely to provide high quality nutrition, 74 percent were less likely to give up their pet and 92 percent were more likely to maintain their pet’s health, including vaccinations and preventative medicine — all because they know their pets are scientifically shown to benefit their own health.

Because research has shown pets can improve health, a majority of those surveyed also believed health and life insurance companies should give discounts for pet ownership, the government should help make pet ownership more affordable and medical professionals should recommend pets to their patients.

Researchers concluded educating people on the health benefits of pets would, as a result, help improve the healthcare and welfare of pets — because knowledge, it would seem, improves the lives of all involved.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:

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