ANNE C. HEYMEN
Google therapy animals on the Internet, and the information is plentiful ranging from how pets are good for their owners to how owners are good for their pets.
To witness the reaction of those at the Council on Aging who were eager to hold one of Mary Siefken?s therapy dogs only re-enforces that thought.
In 2010 Siefken and her pets were featured in the August/September issue of Aspire, a publication for AvMed Medicare preferred HMO members. The story, titled ?Those Amazing Animals ? The Many Health Benefits of Interacting with Pets,? included comments from Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, founder and director of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri?s College of Veterinary Medicine.
?What if medical science discovered a new drug that could lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reduce depression and loneliness, boost mood, improve your chances of survival after a coronary event, cut back on doctor visits, extend your lifespan, get you to exercise and improve your social life ? all in one convenient pill?? the article began.
There is something that can accomplish all that, the article stated. ?Pets, it turns out, are good for more than scratching furniture, chomping on mail or messing on the rug. They are also good for you.?
Spotlighting Siefken when she lived in Miami Springs, the article noted that all of her dogs were registered therapy dogs. ?People like seeing them,? Siefken told the writer. ?It gives them a big smile. I think it gives people an opportunity to think about something besides their illness.?
?Companion animals don?t have an agenda,? Johnson concluded in that article, re-enforcing what Siefken observed: Pets ?just love their people. Unconditional love never hurts anyone.?
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Source: http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2012-10-20/pets-are-good-your-health
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