Want to get healthy? Get a pet! That’s right. Not only do our friends with paws enrich our lives, but some pretty significant health benefits come with this type of love and companionship. From reducing stress and making new friends to exercising more, owning a pet could be just what the doctor ordered.
Studies show that pet owners have lower blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, minimizing the risk of having a heart attack. And, for people who’ve already had a heart attack, pet owners have better recovery rates—all by having a furry friend around to lower stress levels.
There’s some solid science behind how pets decrease stress and anxiety and help with depression. Spending time with a pet increases the brain’s production of serotonin, a chemical that boosts feelings of well-being while decreasing the production of the depression and anxiety chemical cortisol. Many airports even use pets to calm anxious passengers, including Denver International Airport, and some hospitals and nursing homes bring pets in to improve patients’ moods.
At the Dumb Friends League, we have our own, (perhaps) less scientific beliefs about the benefits of being a pet’s human, like those with paws:
- Keep us fit and nudge us to exercise
- Provide companionship and make sure we’re never lonely
- Make great listeners
- Help us make friends
- Give us someone else to care about
When you’re ready to adopt, visit our adoptions page or call 303.751.5772 to read about pets in need of loving homes. All adoptions include spay or neuter surgeries, age-appropriate vaccinations, a microchip ID and a free wellness visit with a participating veterinarian.
The League is hosting an Adoptathon event at the Leslie A. Malone Center in Denver and Buddy Center in Castle Rock June 26 and 27. With plenty of great pets waiting to find their homes, we’re offering a “name your price” adoption special. The standard adoption screening process still applies during adoption promotions.