Pets Are Us
Our Animal Friends Can Helps In Uncertain Times
If I’m being honest, I don’t think I would ever leave my house if it wasn’t for him.
For the 19-year-old Regina Familiar, currently a sophomore at the University of Maryland, life is pretty much “stress city” as she navigates the expectations of college life and along with symptoms of depression and anxiety. Whatever sense of normalcy she had, as with many others, was upended by COVID — 19. Into this chaos came a soft, white fuzzy cloud in the form of a cheerful Pomeranian puppy named Sherlock. When Familiar’s family brought a cloud home, a friendship was born. Ever since then, Sherlock has been a powerful source of comfort and happiness for Familiar. In an uncertain world, he has been a constant, his company reliable.
“Sherlock always provides a way for me to escape from school and just relax and play with him or take him on a walk,” says Familiar.
According to the National Institute of Health, animals are good therapy, a source of comfort and support that reduces stress. Pets have been shown to reduce negative emotions ranging from depression to anxiety. The NIH says that “interacting with animals has been shown to decrease cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Other studies have found that animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.” This study also shows that pets are capable of formulating meaningful, loving, and lasting companionships.
Not to mention the benefits of a good dog walk. The Animal Foundation encourages dog walking as a great form of socialization and exercise for both parties. It forces the owner to venture outside of their house and possibly meet people. The length of a walk should often be at least 30 minutes each time. But, it depends on the dogs’ breed.
“If I’m honest, I don’t think I would ever leave my house if it weren’t for him,” admits Familiar. “He’s always my reminder to take breaks and get a breath of fresh air. It’s hard not to be happy when I’m with him, as he’s always so excited to see me.”
Maryland resident John McClain has owned three dogs so far. His first dog was Sheba, a German Shepherd dog. McClain had her from 1985–1990. Sheba played a huge role in his life because she helped him get through a devastating breakup. Then, as a few years had passed, he got another German Shepherd named Sandy, who also played a huge role in his life. The loving relationship with the beautiful dark brown/black fur canine grew slowly through 1994–2008. They would spend their days together by doing regular activities that people do with their dogs; watched television together on the couch after he’d arrive home from work, go for plenty of walks around the neighborhood and even snuggle. Unfortunately, this lovefest ultimately came to an end, where John knew it was time for Sandy to rest in peace.
“It was pretty obvious that we had to put her down,” says McClain. “She was 14 at this point, so very old. You could tell because she was always in pain… and she’d never want to eat. She would barely be able to move sometimes. I’ll never forget when we went to the hospital. I sat right next to him on the chair in the doctors’ office, and when I felt that last puff of air onto my face… I knew she had left.”
This painful moment made John realize the great capacity for the love he had for this dog. After a couple of years passed, John’s birthday came around in 2010, and an unexpected gift was given to him by his wife and daughter. A furry four-legged German Shepherd puppy named Blade arrived. He came with big black eyes, dark brown/black fur, along a light brown stomach that ranged from his neck to the edge of the stomach. Before he knew it, McClain was able to give this new animal his heart. Still, McClain never forgot Sandy and still has a yearning of love for her, as he does for Sheba and currently, Blade.
An article on the bonds formed between pets and people in Psychology Today discussed the reciprocal nature of our relationships with our pets. Even with cats! Although it’s been said that cats crave solitude the majority of the time. That isn’t always true.
Dogs aren’t the only ideal pets for closeness. Cats are also great candidates. James Shira grew up in a family with many pets, but one that won him over more than the rest. A cat with a pitch-black coating of enriched soft fur, a pair of bright piercing green eyes, along with a deep raspy meow. Robert refused to leave him alone, even when James showered.
“Whenever I’d be taking a shower, Rubert would be right outside, meowing and practically yelling for me to come out,” he says. “Like most cats, he hates the water and worried for my own safety. When I’d then open the door after, he would immediately walk in and jump on my shoulder, rubbing his head against me”.
Rubert would wait for James after long days of work, greeting him with joy and radiance, ready for a hug. We tend to outlive our pets, though, and Rupert was diagnosed with cancer and ultimately had to be put down. This happened 30 years ago, and James still remembers it — a measure of how closely we bond with our animal friends.
“It was among one of the worst days of my life,” James recalls. “I was at the hospital, sitting in the waiting room when they announced his diagnosis… Then when he passed away from it a few days later, I couldn’t stop crying”.
For Haley Pegg, watching her co-workers’ pets is a dream come true. The 25-year-old New Orleans resident is overloaded, like many, with work, emails, and obligations during the week. But when Friday evening hits, she’s often lying next to a soft golden canine, a mix between a golden retriever and mini moxie, with big doe brown eyes and a long exterior. On the other side of the whipped yellow sofa is a dark orange mix of a chihuahua and Pomeranian with wide ears, almost resembling a tiny fox with one blue eye and an underbite.
Pegg gets to watch her dogs three to four times a week, and she looks forward to it as they allow her to rest well for a change due to their tremendous comforting presence. She also watches a couple of other dogs and a cat who used to randomly arrive outside of a house she owns with a couple of roommates.
The majority of Pegg’s weekends revolve around caring for the endearing canines. The happy crew used to embark on trips to the downtown areas and to Bay St. Louis, where the puppies enjoy the taste of freedom by running around the beach and playing with one another. They can be considered an escape and helpful distractions from life’s hassles, including Pegg’s previous fight with depression and anxiety, which never bulldozes her in the company of the two canines.
“They help decrease my feelings of depression and anxiety. Bella and Peanut have great detectors for emotions. For example, once I was having a rough day and had cried,” says Pegg. “Peanut had put his paw on my leg while looking up at me.”
