Dog o' Day
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Dogs may just be the best medicine when it comes to mental health

By Kimberley Spinney

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 2022/05/05: A dog owner gives water to seven month-old Hunter on a warm and sunny day in London. (Photo by Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - 2022/05/05: A dog owner gives water to seven month-old Hunter on a warm and sunny day in London. (Photo by Dinendra Haria/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) /
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Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? And it is also National Pet Month! For us, that means looking at the correlation between the two (mental health and pet ownership).

While we may often think of self care acts as things like a spa day, a fresh baked treat from the bakery, or even getting a chance to talk to a professional about our mental health, thanks to a recent survey from the Wag! app, there is another thing we need to look at. And it probably comes as no surprise that it just so happens to be dogs (and other pets).

For many pet owners, we know the mental health benefits associated with our dogs or cats. And the fact that there are emotional support animals is just another sign that we are not alone in knowing the benefits of our pets.

So what does Wag! have to say about mental health and being pet owners?

Wag! reveals the connection between owing a pet and our mental health

Among the findings of the survey, they determined that dogs really can be the best medicine:

"70% say dog parenting has provided a high level of mental health support48% say that dog parenting has decreased their anxiety37% say that the most surprising thing about parenting a new puppy was the overwhelming amount of love for their new friend"

These results were based on the answers of 1,001 dog parents, all of whom have been pet parents for at least the last two years.

So what else did we learn from these pet parents? Another thing that was interesting in the study results was the fact that the thing nearly half of respondents focused on was the fact that when it comes to heading back to the office for work it was their dogs they would miss the most.

Basically, when it comes to our home lives, work, and overall mental health, it seems like our dogs make everything better. And we are here for that.

Next. Celebrate National Pet Month with the charitable collection of gear from BOBS from Skechers. dark

Who else finds being a pet owner a good thing for our mental health? How do you feel about these survey results from Wag!? Do they surprise you at all? 

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