A Healthy Love of Pets

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Outline Thesis Statement: The companionship of animals can have physical and psychological benefits for their human friends. I. Domesticated animals in the home can benefit one’s health. A. Petting a dog or cat lowers blood pressure, stress and anxiety. B. Interacting with a pet increases brain chemicals for happiness and attachment. C. Walking a dog is healthy exercise for otherwise sedentary people. II. Hospitals and Insurance companies recognize the benefits. A. Hospital studies show that animal owners have lower blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol. B. Some insurance companies give premium discounts to pet owners. III. The therapeutic effects of animals can be felt in external settings. A. Therapy dogs are being brought to hospital rooms to help the patients. B. There are organizations which train and certify therapy dogs. C. Pet owners spend less time visiting doctors and recuperating in hospitals. A Healthy Love of Pets This is an increasingly stressful world in which to live. Each day, human beings have deadlines to meet, societal pressures to manage and health to maintain. It can be overwhelming to gather the energy required to get through each day. Fortunately, for many people, there is an easy solution to the problem of finding health and happiness: animal companionship. For an investment of relatively little time and money, the rewards of pet ownership can be quite impressive. According to studies conducted over the last two decades, “animal companions can: • Help lower blood pressure during stressful situations. • Increase self-esteem in children and adolescents. • Reduce blood pressure and stress level in healthy subjects, as well as produce changes in speech pattern and facial expression. • Increase the survival rates for heart attack patients. • Improve quality of life for seniors. •

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