Pets provide more than a simple lick, pat and wag because we receive social,
psychological, health and financial benefits from our four legged friends.
They offer companionship, a reason for meeting people, a reason to exercise,
they teach our children responsibility, they give pleasure, love and are
loved in return. Pets are good for you and they help to improve your health
which apparently contributes into enormous savings in the health budget.

A very large sample of dog owners found that 92% of them said they took regular exercise which they would not take without their dogs. A medical panel said this was of value in the lazy car-riding age in which we live and walking assists keep people physically fit.

Heart disease is still the main cause of death and studies have found that patting a cat or dog can lower the heart rate and that the owners have a longer survival rate after a heart attack than people who don’t have pet’s.

Dogs also have the role of protector and defender of man. With increasing evidence of burglaries and attacks on property and even people, dogs have an even more valuable role to play. Police have pointed out that in urban areas, dogs provide warning not only for their owner’s homes but also for neighbouring properties. Dogs also give early warning of risk from fire and the lives of many people are saved annually by dogs raising the alarm.