Is your pet the love of your life?: Column

Anyone who has been greeted by a love-hungry dog after a business trip, or felt the warmth of a cat curled up beside them when they’re sick, surely understands the bond between pets and people.

It’s deep, life affirming and real. (And as any pet lover will tell you, getting a Valentine’s Day gift for your pet is a lot less complicated.)

What is now being confirmed regularly by science is how powerfully the human-animal connection contributes to healthier, happier and simply better lives — for people and pets. Research today shows that when you bring the two together, a person’s physical and mental wellbeing improves, and the pet thrives, too.

Your feline or canine valentine, it turns out, is good for the heart, body and mind.

Not all that long ago, pets were treated very differently in America, something I’ve seen change in just a couple generations of my family. My grandfather, a World War II veteran, saw dogs in a utilitarian way. They protected the house and stayed outside. My parents’ Cocker Spaniel, Pokie, made his way into the house — but only the kitchen, and the lines were still drawn between man and pup. Today, our three yellow Labrador retrievers — Sailor, Chance and Thatcher — are deeply woven into the fabric of my family, whether cuddling with us in the family room or joining us on cross-country road trips. My wife and I have six children, three of whom happen to be canines.

Even as tens of millions of Americans have experienced this evolution in the pet-human relationship, our society has not yet taken full advantage of the endless ways this bond can serve a greater good. We do, however, have windows into this world — places where a little fur and a little panting are making a difference for people and pets.

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Domestic violence shelters: The vast majority of shelters in the U.S. don’t allow those seeking a haven to bring pets. This matters greatly, because nearly half of domestic violence victims will stay in abusive relationships for fear of what might happen to their pets if they leave. We also know that 70% of victims say the abuser has threatened, injured or even killed a pet.

In New York City, the Urban Resource Institute has been trying something innovative — and potentially lifesaving: It has transformed three of its shelters to become pet friendly, a first in New York City. A pilot program launched in 2013 has become a model for how to serve people and pets while meaningfully addressing a complex societal challenge. URIPALS (People and Animals Living Safely), a program URI developed in partnership with Purina and other organizations, now has data to show why this model works and should be replicated nationwide. URI has three such shelters that have helped 47 families.  The PAWS (Pet and Women Safety) Act, which was re-introduced in Congress this past week, could provide the federal funding to make that happen in other cities.

Hospitals: Imagine the smile on the face of a child who, after spending weeks in a hospital, gets to spend a few hours with the family pet without leaving the facility. Granted, it’s a rarity, as only four hospitals on the planet accommodate pets. But the fourth to do so — St. Louis Children’s Hospital — found a way, and now children there benefit from the rehabilitative power of pets.

People whose pets are an integral part of their lives miss them deeply over a two week vacation, let alone a months-long stay in a hospital. Children, in particular, crave that bond and benefit from it. Jill Malan, manager of Child Life Services at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, says doctors understand the importance of medicine and the best technology, but they also put great thought into how one’s state of mind can affect their healing. “We see every day the impact a child’s emotional well-being has on their overall recovery,” she says.

Pets can provide significant benefits for hospitalized kids. Indeed, studies show that interactions with pets can reduce pain, anxiety, depression and fatigue in people with a wide range of health issues. The children at St. Louis Children’s Hospital no longer have to wonder how their furry friends are doing — or vice versa.

The workplace: Bringing pets to work was not all that long ago a novelty. Today, more companies are allowing employees to bring their pet companions, just another incentive that appeals to workers keen on a better work-life balance. In fact, studies have shown that people who bring pets to work have lower stress levels.

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Perhaps it is no surprise that at Purina’s headquarters in St. Louis, we have 100 to 200 pets ​on campus during any given week since we started our pets at work program 17 years ago. But because we understand the substantial benefits of this perk, we would welcome pets whether we were a pet products company or one selling vacuums (though the cats on campus may have a very different experience at the latter). Our employees get outside more, socialize more and find a better work-life balance, which helps employee retention. The pets benefit too by spending the entire day with their owners.

Though the vast majority of employers in the U.S. don't allow pets in the workplace, the trend has been shifting toward more relaxed policies. If there were a better understanding of the benefits — and if employers had a road map for making it happen — this workplace nice-to-have would be seen as a must-have.

My grandfather could not have imagined a world where pets are nestled under a table at a restaurant, bounding about at a business office, or scampering across the tiles of a children’s hospital. Then again, he couldn’t possibly have conceived of smart phones, drones, or the mapping of the human genome.

Science and a passion for pets drive us forward, often out of our comfort zone, so that we can live better, healthier and more satisfying lives. A growing body of research supports a deeper integration of pets into our daily existence. If we choose to follow the evidence, we will all see more wagging, more purrs, more smiles, and what we’re all seeking on Valentine’s Day: More love.

Kurt Venator is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Director of Veterinary Strategy and Programs at Nestlé Purina. He is an active veterinarian in upstate New York and global advocate for the pet-human bond.

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