Episode #43: Pet Benefits: Meow! Bow-Wow!

Summary:  On this episode of the Act To Live Podcast, Jaime talks about her incredible humorous and entertaining cat, Tully. Scott adds to the storytelling with tales of his dogs. They both acknowledged that having access to animals makes their lives interesting and their pets add to the well-being of their lives. They also discussed some research conducted with pet owners that showed people who own pets are healthy, happier, and more well adjusted. Lastly,  research about the use of Pet Therapy with kids who have cancer found that these wonderful kids worried less and their parents noted improvements in school functioning.  ACTion Event of the Week:  If you have a pet, take some time this week to focus on them and thank them for what they give you. If you don’t own a pet, take some time to look at pictures of animals, or if you know someone who has a pet, spend some time with these animals.  Join us on the next Act To Live Podcast when we explore the topics of compassion fatigue and burn out, and how they differ. So come on! Let’s take a walk. References: American Humane. (2017) Major Study Indicates That Therapy Dogs Provide Significant Benefits to Families of Children Undergoing Treatment for Cancer. https://americanhumane.org/press-release/major-study-indicates-that-therapy-dogs-provide-significant-benefits-to-families-of-children-undergoing-treatment-for-cancer/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAw_H-BRD-ARIsALQE_2M3a-GCsAUNMAWFw9GKxLfn-xBZXg_WcrYjDTug5bWGinOrz5FEs6caAl3FEALw_wcB  Kim Mils (2011). The Truth About Cats and Dogs: Pets Are Good for Mental Health of ‘Everyday People’ : Study finds thinking about one’s pet is as beneficial as thinking about friends. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/07/cats-dogs Kristen C. Jacobson & Laura Chang (2018).Associations Between Pet Ownership and Attitudes Toward Pets With Youth Socioemotional Outcomes. Frontiers in Psychology. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02304/full