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Plenty of benefits in owning pets
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| Animal love: Above, local veterinarian Nancy Leverenz shows off her office cat Chico, one of her many pets. (Photo by Thelma Grimes) |
By Thelma Grimes
SAN PEDRO VALLEY NEWS-Sun
Local Veterinarian Nancy Leverenz said she loves her animals, while noting she continues to get more and has "too many".
Leverenz talked about all her pets while petting her two boxers that had come to work with her. She also has an office cat, Chico.
Leverenz is one of many in the San Pedro Valley who either has an office pet, or takes her animals to work on a daily basis.
San Pedro Valley News-Sun Publisher Jane Amari brings her dog Whiskey to the office, and when she leaves him at home, he is missed.
Whiskey, a friendly Malenois, has his rug in Amari's office, but as employees trickle into the office in the morning he greets all of them, and requires many to throw his tennis ball.
Customers and those being interviewed by the News-Sun now ask for Whiskey and expect him to greet them.
Eddie Fenn at the local Benson Feed Store has Simon number three. The cat is a store tradition started by his father, who brought in Simon number one. Simon number two was killed in a recent fire.
Laura Mucci of the Cowgirl Up Quilt Store, has two Scottish Terriers at work every day. The two older dogs are Checkers, 15, and Watson, 12.
Like pets that become part of your family, many customers become attached to office pets, and seeing them is just as important as the goods being purchased.
A dog with a wagging tail or a purring cat goes a long way in eliminating stress, whether at work or at home. The health benefits of having pets are well documented. And in fact, the benefits of owning and loving a pet are numerous. Studies have shown animals improve health, teach children, provide unconditional love, along with offering plenty of laughs.
For St. David resident Indy Libby, one pet is not enough. She gets the love she needs from three ferrets, three turtles, two parrots, two dogs, three cats and two cockatiels.
She joked about how she also has some outside animals including chickens and geese, but 15 of her pets require two full-sized bedrooms for proper care.
"I like having them," Libby said. "They keep me busy in my off days. They require care and keep me out of trouble. They also keep me sane. When you get mad at everyone else, I can go straight to my animals."
Libby said her ferrets are better than watching television.
Pets are also beneficial for children. A recent article in Parents Magazine showed that besides helping children learn responsibility and empathy, a pet also helps in emotional, cognitive, social and physical development.
Sammy Bias, a 9-year-old in Pomerene, swears that he will grow up to work with animals. He is already interested in all animals, and wants to be friends with every creature he comes across.
While he would have more if he could, Bias currently has two dogs and several chickens. He also takes care of a hyper-active Shih Tzu several times a week.
When it comes to the chicken coop, Bias heads out every day to collect eggs, forming a bond and naming several of the animals based on their behavior. He jokes that one of the chickens is called Stompy because she becomes agitated when he takes the eggs.
For Bias, the benefits of loving and caring for the animals are already apparent.
He is also learning as he cares for them. According to Parents Magazine, the education is a major benefit. Mary Renck Jalongo, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of "The World of Children and Their Companion Animals" said it has been shown that therapy dogs are extremely beneficial inside schools.
A study has found that all children benefit from the presence of a four-legged friend, and that kids become more relaxed and the learning environment improves.
According to the Humane Society, 63 percent of American households have a pet. The animals require food, water, love and shelter and in return give humans companionship, therapy, health benefits such as reduced blood pressure, unconditional love, education and help.
Local Veterinarian Nancy Leverenz said she loves her animals, while noting she continues to get more and has "too many".
Leverenz talked about all her pets while petting her two boxers that had come to work with her. She also has an office cat, Chico.
Leverenz is one of many in the San Pedro Valley who either has an office pet, or takes her animals to work on a daily basis.
San Pedro Valley News-Sun Publisher Jane Amari brings her dog Whiskey to the office, and when she leaves him at home, he is missed.
Whiskey, a friendly Malenois, has his rug in Amari's office, but as employees trickle into the office in the morning he greets all of them, and requires many to throw his tennis ball.
Customers and those being interviewed by the News-Sun now ask for Whiskey and expect him to greet them.
Eddie Fenn at the local Benson Feed Store has Simon number three. The cat is a store tradition started by his father, who brought in Simon number one. Simon number two was killed in a recent fire.
Laura Mucci of the Cowgirl Up Quilt Store, has two Scottish Terriers at work every day. The two older dogs are Checkers, 15, and Watson, 12.
Like pets that become part of your family, many customers become attached to office pets, and seeing them is just as important as the goods being purchased.
A dog with a wagging tail or a purring cat goes a long way in eliminating stress, whether at work or at home. The health benefits of having pets are well documented. And in fact, the benefits of owning and loving a pet are numerous. Studies have shown animals improve health, teach children, provide unconditional love, along with offering plenty of laughs.
For St. David resident Indy Libby, one pet is not enough. She gets the love she needs from three ferrets, three turtles, two parrots, two dogs, three cats and two cockatiels.
She joked about how she also has some outside animals including chickens and geese, but 15 of her pets require two full-sized bedrooms for proper care.
"I like having them," Libby said. "They keep me busy in my off days. They require care and keep me out of trouble. They also keep me sane. When you get mad at everyone else, I can go straight to my animals."
Libby said her ferrets are better than watching television.
Pets are also beneficial for children. A recent article in Parents Magazine showed that besides helping children learn responsibility and empathy, a pet also helps in emotional, cognitive, social and physical development.
Sammy Bias, a 9-year-old in Pomerene, swears that he will grow up to work with animals. He is already interested in all animals, and wants to be friends with every creature he comes across.
While he would have more if he could, Bias currently has two dogs and several chickens. He also takes care of a hyper-active Shih Tzu several times a week.
When it comes to the chicken coop, Bias heads out every day to collect eggs, forming a bond and naming several of the animals based on their behavior. He jokes that one of the chickens is called Stompy because she becomes agitated when he takes the eggs.
For Bias, the benefits of loving and caring for the animals are already apparent.
He is also learning as he cares for them. According to Parents Magazine, the education is a major benefit. Mary Renck Jalongo, an education professor at the University of Pennsylvania and author of "The World of Children and Their Companion Animals" said it has been shown that therapy dogs are extremely beneficial inside schools.
A study has found that all children benefit from the presence of a four-legged friend, and that kids become more relaxed and the learning environment improves.
According to the Humane Society, 63 percent of American households have a pet. The animals require food, water, love and shelter and in return give humans companionship, therapy, health benefits such as reduced blood pressure, unconditional love, education and help.
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| Do not leave pets in hot cars |
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of bensonnews-sun.com.
don wrote on Jun 18, 2009 10:59 AM:
from brain .surgery petunia don't care. she was abandoned too. she is a ferril cat but been with me since she was a pup. we keep track of each other. "