Animals__Man's_True_Best_Friends

Animals: Man’s True Best Friend My first real pet, that I was actually in charge of, was a rat. Jack was a reward for my hard work in my junior year of high school from my mother, and I had him for about a year. Jack had brown and white fur, and was always very sweet whenever I came to greet him. Having him taught me responsibility. I then understood that loving something as simple as a furry companion was life enriching. Animals are a soothing, and understanding companion to people of all ages. From having therapeutic affects, to teaching responsibility and providing endless entertainment, animals have always played a positive role in people’s lives. A dog’s trainability and intellect make them perfect friends to us. They have been used for pet therapy in schools to help children who are not proficient in math and reading by means of animal interaction. R.E.A.D. is an organization that allows dogs and children of insufficient reading levels to interact (Jolango, 2004, p. 1). Jolango (2004) chronicles about the thirteen month period, and the fifteen students who participated in the program, all of whom were below their grade level in reading, were teamed up with a dog companion for twenty minutes once a week (p. 2). Most children in the program improved by two to four reading levels (Jolango, 2004, p. 2). Jalongo (2004) states that children in the “presence of a calm, attentive dog… moderates the stress responses more than the presence of an adult and even more than the presence of a supportive friend when…reading aloud (p. 1).” Dogs promote relaxation, in terms of decreased blood pressure and increases in skin temperature (Velde, 2005, p. 2). Dogs have also been trained to help the needs of humans in Animal-Assisted therapies and can be used as guide animals, hearing animals, and service dogs. A dog’s unquestioning loyalty makes him a great buddy to any human. Humans keep pets to satisfy the natural need of living organisms interacting with other living organisms and to keep companions, or Biophilia (Louv, 2008, pp. 49). Staats (2007) writes that with a pet we are rarely lonely, and, on many levels, they help us through tough times ( p. 3). According to Woods (2007), pet owners had feelings of being lonely half as often as non-pet owners, and were also proven to be more social (p. 9). Walking your dog in the morning or at night gets us a chance to exercise in our daily routine. Pets naturally help us be more socially active with their ability to keep us on the go. Pets help keep us active and keep us from succumbing to a lifestyle reliant on technology (Staats, 2007, p. 3). An occupational therapy study concluded that senior citizens walked further with a dog than they would by themselves (Velde, 2005, p. 2). According to Woods (2007), pet owners reported to feel that their health was better than those of non-pet owners (p. 9). I currently have multiple animals in my home: three cats, seven fish, two birds, and two rats. My pets always keep me active. I’m usually up earlier than I have to be in order to make sure my pets have food and water. My weekends are usually spent cleaning a cage or two. With the responsibilities of college, work, and taking care of the animals, it’s a big job. I usually do not feel lonely when at home or at school; at home, my pets are always there to keep me company, and at school I have my friends. When my rat, Jack, died in November of last year, I was devastated. Having him to come home to at the end of the day was something I could always look forward to. My connection with Jack and the other pets I have had helped me to realize my dream of becoming a Veterinarian. My stay at San Jose State University and getting my degree will be the first step on the list. After medical school, I would love to get more experience with animals and work at a clinic or rescue center. Within the next year, I plan to save a dog from the local animal shelter. First, I will need to reinforce my backyard and prepare the other people I live with for the drastic change. I hope that in my later life I will have a pet to confide in to keep me company and help me remain active. Having a pet is such a beneficial investment of time and money that I want all members of my family to be able to reap these benefits. Taking care of an animal and having that undying love and loyalty is enlivening and should be experienced by everyone; that kind of connection between a person and an animal cannot be duplicated.