Benefits of Owning a Dog

• Dog owners are less l​ikely to suffer from depression than those without pets.

• People with dogs have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets.

• Playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.

• Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.

• Heart attack patients with dogs survive longer than those without.

• Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.