A new study published in the CABI journal Human-Animal Interactions suggests that companion animals—including dogs, cats, fish and birds—do not significantly benefit the emotional health of owners with severe mental illness.
I’m really glad it helped. It’s a fairly big coin toss, to choose such a needy animal, and it’s the biggest reason I refuse to own one. I’m a lot better around them now than I was as a kid and it would force me outside, but I don’t think I could handle that kind of energy every day, multiple times a day, and no dog deserves the level of neglect it might turn into.
I’m really glad it helped. It’s a fairly big coin toss, to choose such a needy animal, and it’s the biggest reason I refuse to own one. I’m a lot better around them now than I was as a kid and it would force me outside, but I don’t think I could handle that kind of energy every day, multiple times a day, and no dog deserves the level of neglect it might turn into.