Pets for Mental Health My advice for the very best in mental and physical wellness: get a dog! Dogs in particular can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and improve your cardiovascular health. Caring for a dog can help children grow up to be more secure and active, or can provide valuable companionship for seniors. Studies have found that dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets. Pet owners also have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than those without pets. One of the reasons for these therapeutic effects is that dogs fulfill the basic human need to touch. Even hardened criminals in prison have shown long-term changes in their behavior after interacting with dogs, many of them experiencing mutual affection for the first time. The companionship of a pet can also ease loneliness, and most dogs are a great stimulus for healthy exercise, which can substantially boost your mood and ease depression.

Amy Buehler, 12th Street Studio/Gallery/B&B