Pets have always been important to me. When I was a kid, we always had one kind of dog or another around, even when we lived in small apartments with no room for large dogs. I can still remember the names of at least three of my pet dogs from back then. (Sometimes, though, I need to think about it to remember both my kids’ full names? No, not really. Rob, Jenn — it was a joke.)
So it’s always encouraging to read research that indicates pets can promote better health in their owners. In fact, the article I’ve linked to there even indicates kids who grow up in homes with cats and dogs present are LESS likely to develop pet allergies than was thought. General wisdom has always been in the past that having “furred” pets around caused kids to develop such allergies. Nope.
In addition, according to that research, pets help people lower their blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides. So there.
If you haven’t already, get out there and find yourself a good pet (if possible). I’m sure there are animal shelters near where you live just filled with cats and dogs that need rescuing. Go rescue one today.
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