For The Love of Pets

The Other Heart That Beats for You

Their heart beats for you on Valentine’s Day and every day throughout the year. Our pets, the unsung heroes we have welcomed into our family, whether it is a dog, a cat or another animal are there with their unconditional love, their hearts beating joyfully for us, 24/7.

February 14th is unquestionably the day we celebrate our love for each other, but our pets don’t follow a date on a calendar, they are with us every day throughout their lives offering incredible health, happiness and unconditional love benefits along the way.

Your heat beats stronger because of them. Scientific studies have proven that dog owners walk about 80-% farther everyday (Dr. David Niven’s, Ph. D, a psychologist and social scientist, at Ohio State University. Author of “100 Simple secrets Why Dogs Make Us Happy”) and 40-% of cat owners are less likely than their feline-free counterparts to have a heart attack or stroke because of our interaction with them and the calmness they bring to our everyday lives ( Dr. Marty Becker, Veterinarian at Vetstreet.com ).

The evidence is there, your dog or cat and the never ending love they bring is free medicine, helping you maintain optimum health. Your heart, particularly in the advanced years, beats stronger because of them. Pet ownership is linked to a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk factors. They help lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels and the likelihood of obesity.

Not only on Valentine’s Day, but everyday, pet owners have higher levels of self esteem. Our pets are tension breakers, not only at home when couples and families feel the pressures of everyday living, they are also mood swingers on a park trail coaxing total strangers to smile and strike up a friendly conversation, all thanks to our pets, the silent collaborators who change the mood. It works in hospitals with patients, in prisons with inmate and in seniors homes. They brighten our days and nights and lighten the mood. Our four legged friends also do immeasurable good as service dogs in law enforcement, as drug detectors at airports and as medical wizards detecting cancer and heart disorders in patients.

Our pets are the extra heart beats in our lives not only on Valentine’s Day, but everyday. They bring order and empathy to our lives, increase our exercise regime, our social connections, give us self-esteem, brighten our moods and keep us healthy.

This Valentine’s Day don’t forget the little hearts that beat every day for you.

Bev Coxford