Pet Therapy

The goal of pet therapy at Petland is to enhance the human-animal bond. Pet therapy programs at Petland involve such things as in-store educational tours and out-of-store visits with Petland pets to schools, educational facilities for children with special needs, nursing homes, hospitals and a number of civic organizations.

Petland believes pet therapy is a natural and necessary extension of its retail environment. And the reason Petland does all of these things is because through social support, relaxation and nurturing, people are able to derive health benefits from pets in all stages of their lives.

Documented research through the years by the Delta Society, www.deltasociety.org, the leading international resource for the human-animal bond, tells us...

Families: "70 percent of families surveyed reported an increase in family happiness and fun subsequent to pet acquisition... "

Adults: "Pet owners have lower blood pressure... Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than non-owners... Dogs are preventative and therapeutic measures against stress... Pet owners have better psychological well-being... Pet owners have better physical health due to exercise with their pets... Pet owners feel less afraid or being a victim of crime when walking with a dog or sharing a residence with a dog... "

Children: "Positive self-esteem of children is enhanced by owning a pet... Children exposed to pets during the first year of life have a lower frequency of allergic rhintis and asthma... Children who own pets score significantly higher on empathy and pro-social orientation scales than non-owners... Children owning pets are more involved in activities such as sports, hobbies, clubs or chores... Children with autism have more pro-social behaviors less autistic behaviors such as self-absorption...

Senior citizens: "Pets in nursing homes increase social and verbal interactions adjunct to other therapy... Animal-assisted therapy can effectively reduce the loneliness of residents in long-term care facilities... Seniors who own dogs go to the doctor less than those who do not."

The aforementioned results of human-animal bond studies are but a few sponsored by the Delta Society. For more detailed information on these studies and other such research, see the "Health Benefits of Animals" section at www.deltasociety.org.