Is It Beneficial For Human Beings To Have Pets?

Hypothesis: Is it beneficial for human beings to have pets?

Generally people have pets to enjoy their company and affection. Pets have been and will be a great ally of humans in everyday life. Some have been used for work. Therefore, man has been domesticating different animals transforming them into pets. One of the most emblematic is the dog. They have for centuries been faithful helpers of man in their tasks, being mainly used for hunting other animals. This piece of work aims to show the influence and the effects that the presence of pets in the life of human beings has.

There are numerous studies that have shown that pets have a positive influence on health and human well-being. These effects will be classified and analyzed according to four specific areas: therapeutic, physiological, psychological and psychosocial.

Therapeutic area

Animals as a therapeutic resource can be included in treatment as a motivational assisted therapy or physical therapy. The first aims to introduce an animal permanently with a specific regularity in the environment of a person, in order to allow the establishment of an affective link. This methodology has been used in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Alzheimer's disease (see ANEX 1) and various psychological disorders; it was established in homes for elderly people, prisons, hospitals and psychiatric institutions. This type of therapy has enhanced the rehabilitation of cardiac patients and has increased the survival rate of coronary disease. Recently, there is great interest in understanding the effects of the presence of animals as part of work environments.

Thinking about people who have recovered and who still have the ability to live independently, some institutions have designed special programs. One program is the ongoing assistance of volunteers to meet the physical needs of pets. Benefactors have also been linked so that the economic factor is not a difficulty. Another type of program is to give adult pets in a "loan" as a constant companion during the time the person is autonomous. In circumstances of temporary illness, pets are cared for by volunteers, and in the case of permanent disability or death these pets are placed in other homes. A volunteer organization widely recognized in the United States is "Pets Are Wonderful Support to" (PAWS) (see ANEX 2), where pets assist people with AIDS. This organization in its 10 years of operation has about 500 clients and collaborates on all the necessities needed for the owners to continue with their pets despite the advance of the disease.

Physical therapy is another way to obtain therapeutic effects through the animals. The best known is the equine therapy (see ANEX 3), which began in Europe about 50 years ago and has been spreading rapidly in many countries. This therapy has become a tool to increase physical abilities based on the multidimensional movement of the horse. It improves motor function, muscle tone, posture, balance, coordination and sensorimotor location. It has been used in patients with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, developmental delay and cerebral trauma.

Physiological area

Keeping pets is a protective factor for cardiovascular disease (see ANEX 4); it can modify several risk factors: decreased blood pressure, heart rate, anxiety and stress caused by loneliness are reduced and endorphins are released when patting pets. Dog owners have increased their physical activity compared to those who do not possess pets, and consequently the first generally have better health, reflected in fewer doctor visits. In a study by Lynch with cardiac patients who were discharged from the intensive care unit, it was determined that the most influential factor in the survival and recovery of these patients was the severity of damage in the myocardium, followed by the tenancy of a pet. Mortality in the first year of recovery was four times higher in patients who had no pets.

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