Studies show that older people with pets pay considerably fewer visits to the doctor. Up to 16 percent less, according to professor Judith Siegel of the School of Public Health at the University of California. That percentage is even higher for dog owners, reaching over 20 percent. According to Australian research, the presence of house pets in households saves the Australian government some 800 million to 1.5 billion US dollars a year in health costs.

Psychologists have long realized the healing power of pets. In the 1950s child psychologist Boris Levinson often had difficulty reaching his traumatised patients, until the day that his dog Jingles wandered into the treatment room, His young clients were pleased and spontaneously opened themselves up to the dog, and thus also to Levinson. He was the first to write about “the dog as co-therapist”.

There are countless well-documented examples of successful animal-assisted therapy. A little boy who begins to heal his partially paralysed hand by petting a dog. Abused children and prisoners who train a dog to learn how to not repeat the abusive behaviour they have experienced. Autistic children who learn to communicate through contact with dolphins. Sometimes all the therapist has to do is bring up an issue and then observe where the child and animal take it.