Animals are of great help to us humans in many ways: whether as “professional” supporters (e.g. as guides for the blind or therapy companions) or as daily companions. They have been proven to have a positive effect on people’s physical and mental health. This is used and appreciated in many places. It is therefore important that we also help the animals: A good way is to adopt an animal from the animal shelter.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a dog, cat, guinea pig, donkey, llama, pig or chicken – animals help people by making a valuable contribution to recovery and maintaining health. They are a valuable component of therapies and rehabilitation measures. They give us emotional support and are the calming influence in stressful situations. There are programs where animals support people in prisons on their way to a conflict-free life outside the prison walls. Animals reduce the fear of their owners in difficult life situations. We also use them as guide dogs, diabetes and epilepsy warning dogs. They are not only friends but also helpers.
To maintain health or aid in recovery, people are sometimes encouraged to adopt pets (if personal circumstances permit). Slogans like «Get well, get a dog» not only sound charmingly encouraging, they have a scientific basis. A new study found that pet owners (especially dog owners) are healthier than non-pet owners or dog owners. This positive aspect was established on the basis of 1,700 people who took part in the Czech study «Kidiozive Brno 2030». It compared the cardiovascular health of dog owners with non-dog owners. The study’s co-author revealed that dog owners were generally more physically active than their non-dog counterparts. They also ate healthier and had better blood sugar levels.
The animal-assisted therapy program shows how stray dogs can be of immense benefit to society. As part of this program, former stray dogs are selected by experts and trained to become certified therapy dogs, which in their new “function” help children, among other things. The program serves the well-being of humans and animals.
Conversely, we should be aware of the responsibility we have towards the animals. It not only includes meeting the needs of animal friends on a daily basis. It also means making a well-considered decision in advance for an animal and doing everything possible to guarantee it a lifelong “residence” in your own home. Because there are already far too many of their conspecifics in animal shelters. In the United States alone, approximately 6.5 million animals are placed in shelters and just 3.2 million animals are adopted. In 2017, 18,385 animals were admitted to Swiss animal shelters and 12,123 were adopted. German animal shelters take in over 300,000 dogs, cats, small mammals, birds and exotic animals every year; over 100,000 cats are lucky enough to find a new home.