The team at East Village Spa knows that pets are vital for our mental and physical well-being and many of us have at least one rescued pet!
1: A 2012 study from Hiroshima University in Japan showed that when employees watch pictures of cute animals at work, they narrow their focus and pay more attention to detail. (All the more reason to read on!)
2. Nurses at Cedars-Sinai hospital share anecdotal evidence that after a pet therapy visit, some patients sometimes have lower heart rate and require less pain medication.
3. Many studies have shown that dogs help with weight loss, including encouraging more physical activity, especially walking.
4. When humans pet a dog, they experience a release of several “feel good” hormones. (Study by: Rebecca Johnson, Ph.D., RN, of the University of Missouri-Columbia Center for the Study of Animal Wellness)
5. James E. Gern, MD, a pediatrician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, states in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology states that children who grow up in a home with “furred pets” like cats or dogs have reduced risk of allergies and asthma.
7. Dogs have been shown to improve reading scores. Many schools and libraries are even incorporating time for kids to practice reading to dogs, who are great and non-judgmental listeners!
8. Pets can relieve pain by initiating the relaxation response and taking a person’s focus off their pain. (Dr. Jeff Burgess, University of Washington Pain Center).
9. Pets can encourage people to make social connections
10. Senior citizens who own a dog or cat performed better on Activities of Daily Living. Researchers speculate the sense of responsibility to a pet also contributes to their the overall well-being of seniors. (Raina P, Waltner-Toews D, Bonnett B, Woodward C, Abernathy T (1999). Influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people: an analysis of a one-year longitudinal study. J Am Geriatr Soc. Mar;47(3):323-9)
