“When under stress, our chemical make-up changes, and a multitude of stress hormones are introduced in the body,” said Caryn Sabes Hacker, a psychotherapist with more than twenty-five years of experience with children, and author of A Bully Grows Up: Erik Meets the Wizard.
“Ultimately, these hormones cause inflammation in our cells. Petting an animal, hearing its soft breathing, feeling its heart beat, looking into its sweet eyes, knowing that the pet needs us and that we need the pet, creates feelings of love and a corresponding influx of chemicals from the brain that are calming and comforting and create a sense of well-being and happiness,” she said.
Families across the world have harnessed one of the most powerful medicines of all—unconditional love from a furry, four-legged healthcare worker who is on-call twenty-four hours a day and doesn’t require a paycheck.
Reviewed by Susan E. Aiello, DVM, ELS and John A. Bukowski, DVM, MPH, PhD
Originally published on WebVet
