Since last summer I have gained another furry friend and am excited about our summer adventures. I adopted a puppy with Colorado Rescue Tails named Roxy. Through personal discovery, client stories, and some reading I have learned how therapeutic our pets can be.
Pets can help with motivation for exercise, socializing, loneliness, and many other things. Many studies have shown a correlation with owning pets to better physical health including decreased risk of heart conditions and cancer. The most fascinating benefits I have learned about is their ability to increase our empathy. The connection with a canine friend has shown to help with emotional social development which can greatly influence our self-esteem and ability to connect and adapt with our peers; all well teaching us the meaning of caring for another living life. Of course, there is a lot of responsibility that comes with pets and you want to make sure your life is in a place where that is something you are ready to take on or it could have negative effects for the owner and pet.
Getting outdoors with your furry friends have major benefits. I few of my favorite summer hikes with my dogs are Authors Rocks at Lory State Park, and Devils Backbone in Loveland.
Whitney Miller
Interested in meeting with one of our trusted counselors? Click here to schedule a free 30-minute meet and greet.
