Happy National Dog Day!
This is the perfect day to pay tribute to our precious Kimchi and talk about the health benefits of having a dog! Sadly, Kimchi left us for new adventures on December 13, 2023. RIP.
My wonderful little dog would have been 13 on August 20th. It is so hard to believe how quickly the years passed. Kimchi was still full of love and could run 30km an hour when chasing a cat, rabbit or deer but only for a very short distance. When we first adopted her from the BC SPCA, she was 14 months old. She was an escape artist who could run forever. Kimchi used to hike for hours with me in all kinds of terrain and weather. 12 km was no trouble at all. She was a mountain goat; she could scale steep inclines with ease. We hiked till the end; the distances were shorter and the time between hikes was longer. What had not changed was the incredible love that she gave us every day. When we came home, be it after 30 minutes away or four days, she was always incredibly happy to see us. Unconditional love is amazing. All she asked in return was food, cuddles and to sleep in bed with her humans.
Having a dog in your life has many health benefits. Psychologist Harold Herzog, a pet-loving professor at Western Carolina University, has long studied the human-animal connection. His list of 10 health benefits are just a few of the recorded benefits. These include:
• Higher survival rates
• Fewer heart attacks
• Less loneliness
• Lower blood pressure
• Better psychological well-being
• Lower rates of depression and stress levels
• Fewer doctor visits
• Increased self-esteem
• Better sleep and
• More physical activity
In a new systematic review of nearly 70 years of global research published in “Circulation,” a journal of the American Heart Association, dog ownership was associated with a 24% reduction in all-cause mortality. “Our analysis found having a dog is actually protective against dying of any cause,” said Mount Sinai endocrinologist Dr. Caroline Kramer, lead author and an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of Toronto. The review of the health benefits of man’s best friend analyzed research involving nearly 4 million people in the United States, Canada, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.
The many people who have a dog as part of their family are receiving unconditional love; the many health benefits are a bonus.
If you are considering adding a dog to your family, please consider adoption from a local animal shelter.
Kimchi, a Jack Russel/Miniature Dachshund cross, and her human Teresa Ostman had many adventures during their 11 years together. Teresa continues to hike the incredible trails on Vancouver Island. She and her husband now provide a loving foster home to dogs in need. Teresa also volunteers with ElderDog Canada. ElderDog provides free, volunteer services to seniors (age 55+) who have dogs and require assistance in order to maintain that loving relationship.
