By Mary O’KEEFE

We love our pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, about 59% of American households had pets at the end of 2019. But after the pandemic that number jumped to 66%, according to Zebra.

We used to hear that pets teach responsibility to kids but we now know they offer so much more. A study done by Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) found that horse riding can help veterans experience positive changes and reduce symptoms of depression and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). 

The power of pet parenting is not a surprise to family therapist Jamie Given of Given Guidance. 

“As a marriage and family therapist, I often witness how deeply regulating the presence of a pet can be, especially during stressful seasons of life,” she said. “I bring my dog, Sadie, into sessions as an emotional support animal and clients naturally respond to her calm, loving energy.”

After decades of working with pets, including as the executive director at the Glendale Humane Society for 21 years, Alyce Russell has seen how important pets can be to individuals and to families. 

Russell is also the owner of Andersen’s Pet Shop at 2218 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose. Her parents purchased the store in the 1950s; she and her husband Tom took it over from them. 

Russell has regular and new customers who come into her store and they share the stories of their pet family. 

“One of my customers had adopted a dog from me at the Humane Society, a black lab mix,” she recalled. The customer was later diagnosed with an illness that made him lose his balance. 

“His dog, who had been his dog for several years [prior to the diagnosis], took the role of standing by his [pet parent’s] bed and letting the man use him for support,” she said. “He walked with him very carefully.” 

The dog also helped him get in and out of a chair.

“Nobody trained the dog; he just filled that need because his person was in need,” she said.

Another example was of a young person who was struggling with an addiction. S/he had gone to rehabilitation but it didn’t work for her/him … but s/he had a dog. 

“The dog saw [her/him] through the darkest days and nights,” Russell said. “The dog got [her/him] through it because that is what [s/he] needed … love.”

Russell added it also gave this individual a reason to get up every day to help feed and take care of the dog. 

“I have customers who have dogs who recognize medical needs for their kids,” she said. She added another story of a girl who was terrified to leave home and go to college. She got a comfort dog and took it to every class and became confident.

“She had emotional support,” she said. 

There are many more stories Russell shared about dogs that filled the void in people’s lives; but it is not only dogs that act as emotional support pets. 

She spoke about a friend she knew many years ago. 

“She was diagnosed with stomach cancer and she had one of those little windows where you could sit and read. [Every day] she’d go in a [room] and just try to enjoy the sunlight. Her cat would come up and get on her stomach. She was in the third stage of cancer and after a couple of months the cancer disappeared. About three months later the cat died … of cancer,” Russell said. 

There are thousands of stories of how pets have saved people, physically and mentally, including how they become a link between their person and the outside world. 

But getting a pet is not something that should be taken lightly. The pet is a responsibility, both in time and finances, and it is important to consider everything when deciding to become a pet parent. 

Russell said the cost of pet care has been increasing every year and if people are thinking about adopting a pet they should make sure they explore pet insurance options. 

“Pets need you to feed them, to care for them, [at times] walk them and do all those things for them … and they do reciprocate,” she said. 

Russell said getting a pet can teach children responsibility as well as giving emotional support and it can also create a special family time.

“[Sometimes] parents come in the store and say they want to get their child a hamster,” she said. Often the parents mention this will be a way to teach the child responsibility by letting them take care of the pet. 

“And I tell them through my experience, ‘The best way to [teach] your child is to do it [caring for the pet] with your child because when you do it with them, it shows them how to do it and it becomes a family project and then [the child] remembers [that lesson],’” she said.

She said when that happens she sees the child grow and become a really good pet parent. 

“Animals offer something uniquely supportive. They provide steady companionship, unconditional love and a sense of safety without judgment. There is genuine joy in the simple ways pets show care, whether it’s a dog wagging its tail, a cat curling up on a lap or an animal seeking connection in its own way,” Given said. “Being a pet parent creates routine, responsibility and moments of presence that ground us emotionally and remind us we’re not alone.”