Premium Essay

Service Animals Benefit Human Companionship

Submitted By
Words 504
Pages 3
For generations, people have indulged in the strange habit of bringing nature, in its wildest form, into their homes. Over the years, owning pets has become increasingly popular, However, some may still question the benefits of caring for a pet. After all, pets cannot speak, they cannot understand the human language, and they cannot provide for themselves. In Abigail's opinion, animals can bring a certain support that human companionship cannot. Owning a pet can benefit one's health because pets provide physical, mental, and emotional support.

The physical support that a pet can provide can not be overstated. One example of this support is the great assistance that service animals give to their owners. Service animals help to guide and assist …show more content…
They can bring this support through the constant companionship that they provide. Their constant presence

has given many people a feeling of companionship, even though these people may live on their own, without other human beings. The responsibility that comes with owning and caring for an animal supports the growth and strengthening of mental stamina. Having to feed, walk, water, and play with an animal requires that a person builds up their responsibility, and takes charge of their surroundings. Abigail is responsible for feeding and cleaning up after Cricket, which gives Abigail the opportunity to grow in her responsibility.

Emotional support is a fantastic attribution by animal companions. Animals can be registered service animals not just for physical ailments, but emotional. Animals may become emotional support animals through a certain registration process. Animals can give comfort in their mere presence. While they may not be able to speak comforting words, animals can often sense when something is amiss with their owners. Sometimes, being able to pet and play with animals can be the greatest way to lift one's spirit. Abigail finds comfort in interacting with Cricket after an exhausting

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Marketing

...a significant amount of squeezable chewable toys and games! This is called the “Pampered Pets Phenomenon”!!! With such a phenomenon occurring all across the world, in many nations, the question that is constantly asked by researchers is “what are the individual factors influencing humans investing in animals as pets?” The pampered pet’s case study highlights that Australia alone spend a total of $4.62 billion annually on pet care products and on associated services. The journal article “Consumers and their Animal Companions” written by Elizabeth C. Hirshman states that the keeping of animals as pets has resulted from a human desire for companionship with other species. She suggests that humans socialise with animals mainly dogs or cats to form a sense of bond and companionship. She states that humans are willing to invest in their pets to gain the satisfaction of being in a closely bonded relationship. Such a theory is evident in the case study “Pampered Pets”, stating owners taking their pet pampering efforts so far to the point where they’ve allowed their pets or so called “buddy’s” to have free roaming rights such as sleeping on their bed or lazing on a couch. So why do we love having animals as companions rather than just pets and why do we spend a “heap” of money on them??? Consumer’s behaviour or choices can be based on individual factors and psychological factors, which is conveyed in the pampered pets phenomenon. Such factors influencing this phenomenon include, lifestyle...

Words: 959 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Animal Censorship

...Animals touch lives in ways humans cannot. They are not only companions, they provide great health benefits, too. In fact, animals contribute so much time to people, that sometimes the benefits they provide often go unnoticed. Animals are more than just companions—approximately 65% of households in the United States own a pet (Pets by the Numbers). Pets are also beneficial to our physical, emotional, and mental health. There are many ways that animals contribute to human life and mortality, mental health being one. The animals themselves act as a loving companion. In the article, "Mental Health Implications of Human Attachment to Companion Animals," they talk about how, with the help of a loving companion, humans can destress and not feel...

Words: 909 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Human Animal Bond

...Kellie Hintz 15 May 2010 Writing 1200 The Human-Animal Bond: How animals enrich our lives The year 2003 started out the same as any other year. It was my second year in the Army and I was just beginning to get used to the demands of military life, when, all of a sudden, my unit got orders to go to Iraq. I felt as if my world had been turned upside down, and I had no idea how I was going to get through the deployment and still keep my sanity. About three months into the deployment, I was taking the trash out after dinner when it happened. As I was about to launch the bag into the trash trailer, I could have sworn I heard a cat meow. I thought, “I must be crazy!” I hadn’t seen a cat since I left the United States, but sure enough when I bent down to look under the trailer, there he was. Staring back at me was a cat that could have passed for my childhood cat. I doubted that he would come to me if I called him, but I decided to give it a try anyway, and to my surprise he came! This was the beginning of a three month relationship. I started calling him Marvin since he reminded me so much of the cat I had when I was young. For the three months I spent about 30 minutes a day with Marvin. He would usually show up right around dinner time. He always knew where he could find me, and when he did, he would come over and jump into my lap and lay down. He would sit with me for a while and I would pet him and talk to him about my day. Some of the people I worked with would come by and...

Words: 3162 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Animal Assisted Therapy

...Angelica Carlos English 4 19 March 2012 Benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy Throughout human history, “animals have occupied a central position in theories concerning the ontology and treatment of sickness and disease” (Serpell 16). Animals have played a major role in the lives of humans in ways that have affected our entire being and survival. Countless amounts of people, animals, and time have been put into bringing AAT all over the world; as a result, five other countries have adopted this form of therapy. The volunteers and workers of Animal Assisted Therapy have pushed to bring an exciting new therapy to children and adults all around. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a familiar method of treatment and rehabilitation in many diseases and conditions, where the animal becomes an important “behavioral facilitator”, causing improvements in the behavior and health of the patient. “Numerous authors and medical professionals point to its importance and in particular that the positive feedback between the patient, the animal, and the therapist reduces many symptoms, and improves the quality of life” (Yeh 2005). The history of Animal Assisted Therapy can be traced back to the 9th Century. It is a goal-oriented intervention in which an animal that meets the criteria becomes an integral part of the treatment process for patients. The benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy far outweigh the risks, and should be used and recognized as an effective form of therapy...

Words: 2549 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Caring For A Dog's Negative Impact On Children

...have been companions of humans for thousands of years. In fact, around 44% of all homes in America today house at least one dog (“Pet Statistics”). Dogs can be a source of joy in one’s seemingly mundane life. While it is commonly known that dogs can easily make others happy, it is often looked over that they can have positive effects on our health. Caring for a dog can improve one’s physical being, boost mental health, and have a positive and lasting impact on children. One effect of owning a dog is an increase in physical activity. In a recent study, it was observed that dog owners walked approximately 20 minutes more per day than people who did not own a dog (Dall). Dogs need physical activity to thrive, as obesity and diabetes are...

Words: 1170 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Does Granting Animals Human Rights Make Sense?

...Does Granting Animals Human Rights Make Sense? University Does Granting Animals Human Rights Make Sense? Throughout history, there has been any number of people belonging to various groups that for one reason or another were persecuted, oppressed, or otherwise denied equality with the rest of society. Over time, these groups have either formed their own activism or received sponsorship from another group with the goal of achieving equality in the eyes of society, if not in the eyes of the law. Workers, women, minorities, and homosexuals are examples of such groups where the pursuit of what we have come to call human rights has both made history and changed society. This document will explore the question: “does granting animals human rights make sense?” While it is understood that human beings, the species Homo sapiens sapiens, are members of the animal kingdom, for the sake of this discussion use of the term “animals” will refer to those that are non-human. Much of the rhetoric emanating from the animal rights debate is highly emotionally charged. By approaching the issue from the perspective of a reasonable person, it is possible to strike a balance by ensuring the humane treatment of animals where human culture and purposes intersect with the animal kingdom. Often, the animal rights debate is referred to as though there were only two sides to the argument. One side would grant rights to animals that are equivalent to the rights humans strive to afford one another...

Words: 3079 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Man's Best Friend

...Lauren Vandiver Mr. Keeton English 102 29 October 2012 Man’s Best Friend Recently, I read that in some religions, it is felt that when a pet owner is ill, the animal can take on the illness to help in healing their owner. While many pet owners claim that their pets actually do make them feel better, there are still some skeptics. However, research studies show that pets do have a very positive impact on various aspects of our health. In fact, for nearly 25 years, studies have correlated pet ownership with the following health benefits: lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, better psychological health, lower heart attack rates, higher survival rates, enhanced self-esteem and social interaction. So as people take care of their companion animals, the animals are in turn taking care of their owners. Dog owners would tell you how their best friend would snuggle up close to them for comfort and follow them everywhere and know well their routines such as feeding time and the time when their owners return from work. Experts say that pets are very therapeutic and can even prolong the lives of a human being, especially elderly or these widowed and living alone. Among the several emotional and physical benefits of owning a pet, these animals can form very close bonds with their human owners and in fact dogs are even known as men's best friend. Primarily, owning a pet serves as a wonderful way to rediscover a sense of purpose. It helps people feel needed and wanted. After...

Words: 1117 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Search Strategies for Psycinfo

...1.Search Strategies are important in narrowing down your field, and to determine that you get the correct search parameters that you are looking for. There are numerous strategies that can be used to research literature online using the PsycINFO database. The best way to start a search is to determine the specific research questions in order to guide the search, using key terms and parameters. It is also important to determine all synonyms, alternate terminology and any word variations to narrow your search. The use of Boolear Operations such as the words; “and”, “or” will change the search results. Using the word “and” between each search term will give results that contain all the search terms, where using the word “or” between search terms will give results that contain at least one of the search terms. Focusing your search using limiters such as the document type, methodology, publication type and year are helpful search strategies to use in conjunction with the afore mentioned strategies. Using a variety of search strategies is important to limit your search to make it as efficient and effective as possible. When I first started the basic search I used the words pet ownership, beneficial, and health. The search options I used were to find any of my search terms, publication year 2005-2015, and English. This search generated 572 116 results. There were too many results to determine the relevance of these search results. I then used a basic search again using all the...

Words: 4050 - Pages: 17

Premium Essay

Dogs

...social cognition and communication may account for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations, and these attributes have given dogs a relationship with humans that has enabled them to become one of the most successful species on the planet today.[22]:pages95-136 The dogs' value to early human hunter-gatherers led to them quickly becoming ubiquitous across world cultures. Dogs perform many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and military, companionship, and, more recently, aiding handicapped individuals. This impact on human society has given them the nickname "man's best friend" in the Western world. In some cultures, however, dogs are also a source of meat.[23][24] Early roles Wolves, and their dog descendants, would have derived significant benefits from living in human camps—more safety, more reliable food, lesser caloric needs, and more chance to breed.[25] They would have benefited from humans' upright gait that gives them larger range over which to see potential predators and prey, as well as color vision that, at least by day, gives humans better visual discrimination.[25] Camp dogs would also have benefitted from human tool use, as in bringing down larger prey and controlling fire for a range of purposes.[25] Humans would also have derived enormous benefit from the dogs associated with their camps.[26] For instance, dogs would have improved sanitation by cleaning...

Words: 1607 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Natural vs Artificial Selection

...Natural Vs Artificial Selection in dogs that has been altered to suit a person’s need Introduction Dogs exist in both wild and domestic set-up whereby they vary in shape and size. This means that there are different breeds of dogs resulting from artificial and natural selection. Each existing species was created separately but they can be modified by the environment. However, these changes are limited hence cannot produce a new species. Artificial selection is whereby a species of a particular plant or animal is modifies by breeders into a distinct breed with unique physical attributes. The offspring obtained from each breeding process may exhibit minimal differences that only a breeder can identify. The aim of this breeding process is to breed an offspring with desired physical attributes, which is then allowed to breed further. An offspring with undesired physical attributes is not allowed to breed. The breeding process is repeated until the small differences observed increase gradually. This represents the process of artificial selection (Venemma). Natural selection represents a similar process that occurs in nature. In a natural setup, organisms normally vary hence reproduce at a specific geometric rate. Survival of these organisms depends on adaptation to the natural environment (Pollan 23). This creates a division whereby organisms that are environmentally suited will reproduce and those not suited will die. This is a resemblance of artificial selection, but this natural...

Words: 2176 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

...This paper is based on genetic and reproductive science and their benefits and limitations regarding individuals, families, and society. The paper covers the screening and treatment for diabetes and what methods are used to prevent it development. The paper also contains information regarding In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and its benefits for individuals and families. The use stems cells and its advantages and disadvantages are also mentioned. Analyze the benefits and limitations of genetic and reproductive sciences for individuals, families, and society. The benefit of genetic science for individuals is that it can determine if the person has a possible genetic disorder and give them a better chance at preventing the disorder from becoming active, monitor the disorder, or treat the disorder. For example, diabetes is a genetic disorder that can be discovered through genetic testing. Lifestyle changes such as exercising and lowering their body mass index (BMI) can prevent someone for developing diabetes, and the testing can monitor diabetes if a person develops it. Diabetes can also be treated by the use of insulin and dieting if monitored correctly. The limitation of genetic science for individuals is the emotional outcome of the test results. Some people may get upset and begin to feel guilty, depressed, or even become anxious once they receive their results (Cho, et al., 2012). The benefits of genetic science for families are that testing can help families...

Words: 1426 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Guide Dog Training Research Paper

...How you ever seen a person being guided by a dog and thought, "wow, that isn't that amazing?" Well, there are certain organizations, known as guide-dog training facilities, that specialize on dog and human companionship. These warehouses are specifically made for training guide dogs, who their main purpose is to be a loyal companion and help people who do not see, or have a certain disability. If you happen to come face to face with one of these facilities, everywhere you look, there are a variety of dogs being played with, and working hard to improve their skills, and impress their trainers. Guide-dog training facilities are something that have a great impact on people's lives. Many people are intrigued while watching how a guide-dog takes...

Words: 1804 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Child Abuse

...To me people that support and encourage dog fights are sick people. I believe that it could be considered to be more than one theoretical perspective for a few reasons. I think mainly it is the conflict theory. I think that the human being is using its power on the poor animals. They have no voice and are forced to be violent and blood thirsty when most likely that’s not what the animal wants. They are forced to fight till death and if they lose they are usually injured pretty sever and just tossed to the side or killed by their owner. The owner has power of them. For dog fighting it’s hard to have certain culture components because it can come in all forms. There is no certain clothes or race or ethnic or gender that is set for dog fighting. Obviously usually it is men that get involved as opposed to woman. Maybe that don’t necessarily have a religion due to what they are doing. From what I have seen the majority of people that do support or participate are African American somewhere around their mid-20s or older. I feel that children that around this kind of behavior is defiantly learned. If you see your parents or siblings acting in this you see it is okay, and it’s not. They will learn that it is okay to treat harmless animals in a aggressive manor. I think that it does have a big effect on your family. Not only is it morally wrong it is also illegal. If you were to get caught participating in this kind of activity you will be severely punished and in...

Words: 2650 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Factory Farming

...farming is a method of food and fiber production which exploits animals in a confined environment (Marcus). As the demand for meat continues to increase, the modern agricultural practice of factory farming also continues to increase to meet the food consumption of humans. Factory farms consist of a large number of animals confined in small spaces to minimize operation costs; this mass production has decreased the price of meat as the factories produce an excess amount of meat to satisfy the demand. However, although Americans are fulfilled with the abundant amount of cheap meat, the practice of factory farming causes serious consequences for animals, humans, and the environment. This unhealthy practice has led to problems such as pollution, inhuman animal treatment, and human illness. Therefore, for all these reasons, many people have stated that factory farming is morally and ethically wrong. Since factory farms wield tremendous power in our society, they have become a controversial topic, with many people questioning whether they are detrimental or beneficial to our society. While opponents believe that the costs of factory farming outweigh the benefits, supporters rather believe that factory farming is needed in our current society. The factory farming agriculture today differs drastically from the traditional animal agriculture. While animals in traditional American farms graze and are able to exercise, animals in factory farms are forced to live in cramped, filthy, unnatural...

Words: 3860 - Pages: 16

Free Essay

Pet Spa

...necessary in our 24 hour pet boarding, activity and clinic center. Executive Summary: This business is involved in upscale care and overnight accommodations for domestic pets;the focus of Jr. Day Spa Center. Providing superb services such as day and overnight care. Services we provide will be above and beyond what our competition can offer. There is an rewarding benefit of caring, sharing our hearts and homes with our pets. We develop tremendous affection, companionship and this gives pets a warm sense of security. It is truly a sacred bond between mankind and animals that is immeasurable. Animals are playing a larger role in our lives more than ever, and working people are choosing to provide them with a good life.Pets aren't just part of the family anymore. They are family. Just like humans have a need to be healthy and stay active, our pets too have a need to be cared for, in some cases over long periods of time while their owners are away on business trips. Almost everywhere you go, there are more grooming salons, animal clinics, activity centers, and hotels stays for pets. Most of these places do not offer variable services There are many times have we found ourselves going from door to door to find these different kinds of services. There is truly a need for a one-stop convenience. I like to offer my community working professionals with reliable, trusting and convenient pet care available to them to keep up with today’s challenges of economy. By offering...

Words: 2714 - Pages: 11