Many, many households in the United States have at least one pet. It has been recently estimated that approximately 65 million homes have a dog in the USA today, and there are about 47 million USA homes that have a cat as a pet.

Why do people have pets? There are many reasons, and having a pet in the home has been Consider these proven medical facts: -Having a pet in the home has been shown to decrease blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, relieve depression, and reduce feelings of loneliness.

-Pets can increase opportunities for exercise, outdoor activities, and socializing with others.

-People with dementia or Alzheimer’s have fewer anxious outbursts and appear to be more calm when there is an animal living in the home.

-Kids growing up in a home with ‘fur-bearing’ animals, whether a cat or dog, will have less risk of developing certain allergies. This research showed that if a dog lived in the home, infants were 14 percent less likely to show evidence of pet allergies.

-Children who grew up in a home with a pet were also found to be more likely to have developed a strong immune system.

I was fortunate to grow up with both cats and dogs in our home.

We had a cat that lived 17 years, and I do not remember a time growing up when our family did not have a pet dog.

As has been said many times, the love that a pet dog shows for his/her family is a wonderful demonstration of what we refer to as ‘unconditional’ love. I love both cats and dogs, and they generally have a very positive impact of the homes where they are blessed to live with loving caring family members.

Many hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities welcome dogs into their facilities.