| Our pets can be our best friends, our children, our | | | | living room. She takes them to the vet as often as |
| confidants, and some of the most important entities | | | | any mom would take her human kids to the |
| in our lives. I know that over the course of my | | | | pediatrician. I could go on and on with other similar, |
| lifetime I have had several dogs who have filled each | | | | and quite touching, stories of the friendships shared |
| of these roles. For each and every one of us, our | | | | by people and their pets. |
| own human health and wellness can be enhanced | | | | I think that all human beings could benefit from |
| appreciably by the relationships we maintain with our | | | | forming a close relationship with an animal. Our pets |
| cherished pets. | | | | love us unconditionally. They listen to us when we tell |
| I have many friends who are quite attached to their | | | | them our woes (although, because of the language |
| animals. My mother in New Orleans cooks special | | | | barrier, they may not understand us word for word) |
| chicken and rice dinners for Tucker, her terrier mix. | | | | and they are there for us when we need their |
| They sleep in the same bed and you'll hear my mom | | | | company. My sister-in-law, Patti, was telling me about |
| speaking to Tucker as if he were a person. My good | | | | a program in her city with which she is affiliated, in |
| friend, Tammy, has a precious little kitty, named | | | | which dogs are trained to be companions to people in |
| Xena, who eats at the table with her. Tammy fixes | | | | need. You, no doubt, are familiar with the proverb, "A |
| Xena a complete miniature meal which is a | | | | friend in need is a friend indeed." Certainly, our |
| smaller-sized duplicate her owner's. When Tammy | | | | beloved pets fulfill our needs for companionship and a |
| goes for a walk around her neighborhood, you'll even | | | | true sense of being needed, wanted, and loved. |
| see her pushing Xena along in her cat stroller. Katalin, | | | | Therefore, I wholeheartedly recommend to |
| another good friend of mine, shops at the market | | | | everyone: Befriend an animal and take it into your life. |
| for fresh vegetables and fruits for her "kids", Jeri and | | | | You will be the one who reaps the benefits of the |
| Juliet. She feeds them each two square meals of | | | | relationship. Closeness to another, whether human or |
| human food per day. These two adorable lop eared | | | | not, brings an astonishing and undeniable boost to |
| bunnies live in adjoining three story condos in Katalin's | | | | one's health and well being. |