In a paper consisting of five pages the therapeutic benefits animals have on humans particularly in terms of the ailing and elderly are considered. Five sources are cited in the bibliography.
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age or illness. Their lives have been essentially stripped away from them, so it would seem the last thing they need is for their beloved pet to be forcibly
taken from them, as well. What scientific studies continue to show is how animals provide physical and emotional benefits just with their mere presence. PETS AND PEOPLE "Animal
companionship is beneficial because, unlike human interaction, it is uncomplicated. Animals are nonjudgmental, accepting and attentive; they dont talk back, criticize or give orders. They give people something
to be responsible for and offer a nonthreatening outlet for physical contact" (Burke, 1992, p. 64-65). Animals have instincts unlike their human counterparts, which allow them to inherently recognize when
someone requires their silent support. Myriad anecdotal accounts have attested to that fact that pets instinctively know when their owners are feeling blue or ill; upon this acknowledgment, the
animals frequently go to their elderly owners to offer solace and unconditional love. It is only when these pets are taken from their people that there is a significant
loss of emotional release. "The exact mechanisms by which animals exert their effects upon health and well-being are still largely mysterious. But the growing body of evidence that
pets do make a difference has spawned a variety of organizations eager to further research and create service programs involving animals" (Burke, 1992, p. 64-65). "...Family pets, in particular dogs
and cats, provide certain components of attachment that contribute to emotional and social well-being throughout the life cycle" (Sable, 1995, p. 334). "Pets link us to nature and to
our evolutionary roots. There is, somehow, in our cultural mind, a yearning for animals because we come from a symbiotic relationship with nature. Its in our cosmic consciousness