At a recent employee health and wellness fair held at Montgomery General Hospital in Olney, MD, the Montgomery County Humane Society (MCHS) showcased three of their foster animals to help demonstrate the physical and mental health benefits pets can have on human beings. While the study of the animal/human interaction is in its infancy, several studies by the National Institute of Health found that there is a direct correlation between human’s health and the presence of animals.
“The general belief is that there are health benefits to owning pets, both in terms of psychological growth and development, as well as physical health benefits,” says Dr. James Griffin, a scientist at NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Although minimal, the existing research does suggest a relationship between pet ownership and health benefits. One NIH-funded study evaluated more than 400 adults who’d suffered from heart attacks, and found that dog owners within that group were significantly more likely to be alive one year later than those who did not own dogs (regardless of the severity of the heart attack). Another NIH study found that married couples who own a pet had lower heart rates and blood pressure than those without pets. Furthermore, that same study found that pet owners recover faster from stressful situations when they are with a pet rather than with a spouse or friend.
Regardless of the scientific evidence, hospital employees who visited the MCHS booth at the health expo were invited to experience the instantaneous mood benefits that meeting foster dogs Bella and Lollie and foster cat Macky could have for them. These interactions, though brief, are an example of the MCHS dedication to increasing education and awareness of the joys of pet ownership. “We focus on preparing people of all ages and backgrounds for responsible relationships with the animals in their lives,”states b j Altschul, MCHS Director of Community & Educational Relations. “Our education programs foster readiness for … the special bond between humans and animals.”
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