Animal Rx: 11 Ways Pets Make You Healthy

Everday Health ^ | Jordan Lite and Madeline Vann

[vetvetdoug]

My dog is also a Standard Poodle. I don’t groom her as such and she stays with me at work and at home. She is a friend to everyone. She gets me through some tough times too.

[Salamander]

Most people don’t believe me when I say my snakes seem to have something akin to affection for me.

I have no other explanation for Bob’s comforting behavior, unless God simply used him to hug me, in His stead.

[Nepeta]

Horses keep me slender, tough, and in shape with the ceaseless labor they demand. They give me a thrilling freedom when we gallop and jump, with all the risk involved. They give me artistic satisfaction and a sort of Zen-like peace when together we create a private beauty in the graceful movements of dressage. They give me the contentment of maternal love when I care for them, and fascinated delight when our differing minds enjoy nature together. They force me to be gentle and patient, controlled and self-sacrificing, brave and strong. I rejoice in their magnificence. Dogs love humans easily, but when a horse loves, it’s a rare gift. They are my benison, and I thank God each day for the time with them.

My horses matured me into a far better adult than I would have been without them. Earning their trust, and realizing how deeply they trusted me, was one of the most moving experiences of my life, since they are skittish prey animals.

[BunnySlippers]

I saw two huge standard poodles being walked in Brentwood, CA outside my office.

They were being walked by a Japanese girl wearing the “little girl” style of “costume” ... If it was a costume. The poodles were almost as tall as she was. One was baby blue, the other pink.

The were very large dogs and exquisitely groomed. The scene was other worldly.

[GOP Poet]

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[Tax-chick]

Great story!

[Titan Magroyne]

Every time I read Joe Hills’s “Horns” I can’t help thinking of you throughout.

(Cruelies against them from some characters; but also a lot of thinking and affection from them.)

[BigEdLB]

Rufus and Emma are people in curly suits

[Uversabound]

Sampson Vigna worries about me until I get home.

116 pd doberman....when i do get home, the look in his eyes is like, Mommie, I worried about you all day. Thank God you made it home safe....

I know crazy but happy. LOL

[TrueKnightGalahad]

Hmmmmmmmmmm...somewhat skeptical here. My kitty Shadow is the original Mr. Underfoot, weaving in and out between my feet wherever I go, plotting my demise. It’s a miracle I’m still alive. I’m sure his thought process is: hooman ‘accidentally’ trips, falls, cracks his head open, dies...and there’s weeks of some mighty fine dining on the corpse.

[tob2]

Muslims need to read this but of course will not believe a word of it.

[floralamiss]

Oh, Sal’, that’s lovely. In our human intellect, we think we know the nature of other animals; but, in reality, we can’t know. Most of the time, we don’t even understand each other.