Many Bollywood celebrities often take to social media to share pictures with their pets, so much so that many of these pets are now famous themselves — case in point, Edward (Alia Bhatt’s cat); Joey (Varun Dhawan’s dog that even found a mention on the celebrity talk show, Koffee With Karan); Buddy (Anushka Sharma’s dog); and so many others.
In a similar vein, actor Disha Patani also shared a picture with her dog — Bella — whom she thoroughly missed. In the adorable clicks, the Ek Villain Returns actor can be seen cuddling with her pooch, a brown cocker spaniel, making a strong case for how pets make tough times so much easier.
Having pets is a huge form of emotional support for animal lovers, and, as such, pet/animal-assisted therapy has gained immense popularity worldwide.
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“Spending time with animals really helps with boosting oxytocin and other endorphins (feel-good hormones). Cortisol, the stress hormone, is proven to decrease with pets. Of course, we only recommend it to people who are animal lovers. For them, it can really make a difference and act as a real source of comfort,” Dr Rachna Khanna Singh, Mental Wellness Expert at Artemis Hospital, told indianexpress.com.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, animal-assisted therapy is defined as “interacting regularly with animals for a set time over weeks or months”. It is especially used in retirement centres to help people living with depression. It is also an incredible source of healing for people dealing with the after-effects of traumatic events and PTSD. Animals don’t have preconceived notions of people so it’s usually easier and liberating for a person to spend time with them.
Apart from emotional and mental benefits, one may benefit physically from pet therapy, too. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Epidemiologic studies suggest pet owners may acquire physical benefits, such as improved blood pressure and greater physical activity.”
“Patients owning pets who were released from a coronary care unit were significantly more likely to survive after one year,” a study noted.
“The relationship between humans and animals is prehistoric. Pet therapy can be considered as one of the most helpful non-pharmacological techniques of management for elderly who are suffering from illnesses like dementia and depression, and even others who have an attachment to animals,” concluded Vinaya Gore, Founder and Chief Psychologist of Aatman Psychology Studio Pune.
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