How do animals help people

Top 10 Secret Ways Animals Help Humans

Who doesn’t love animals? We all know the beauty of the adorable creatures that live with us, like cute puppies and fuzzy kittens, but animals can do more than just make us laugh with the clumsy mistakes they make. Animals are used in almost every scientific field from medicine to the aerospace industry, and they play a crucial role in the advancement of human life.

Scientists continuously study animals and their unique qualities and find ways to apply those qualities to problems humans face every day. This includes utilizing our most intelligent and trainable animals but also the evolved chemical traits of smaller, lesser-known animals. So, here are ten ways animals help us out that you may never have realized even existed.

10 Keyhole Limpet Proteins

Keyhole limpets are sea snails with, wide, conical shells that feature a small hole at the top, and they have a secret superpower. They contain a protein known as keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), which is used in a wide array of medicines, ranging from cancer and Alzheimer’s medications to vaccinations for animals and humans. The complex structure of hemocyanin makes it a perfect candidate for fighting disease, because it contains many binding sites, which allows other particles bind to it easily. [1]

Limpets aren’t the only sea organisms that are used in unexpected ways by humans. For example, kelp is used to create a creamy texture in a myriad of products ranging from ice cream to toothpaste. However, keyhole limpet proteins are used in medications for very serious diseases, and entire companies specialize in the production and sales of KLH. Industries such as this are constantly growing as we find more uses for KLH in medications. Since limpets are invertebrates with no true brain, using them in the medical field has the added bonus of eliminating the question of morality involved when using animals for scientific testing.

9 Cancer-Sniffing Dogs

Dogs will make a few appearances on this list, as they’re so intelligent and easily trained, not to mention adorable. Dogs have about 60 times as many sensory nerves in their noses compared to humans. For years, scientists have known of their ability to sniff out cancer. If you have seen this in headlines, you may think, “Aww, how cute,” and move on. However, there is actually a lot of scientific evidence to back this up. [2] Back in the early 1990s, trained dogs were tested on their ability to smell cancer using various urine samples from patients with and without cancer. The canines could correctly identify samples from cancer patients about 95 percent of the time. Types of cancer they could identify ranged from liver to lung to breast cancer.

Although it is unlikely that dogs alone would ever be used to detect cancer in new patients (as much as having dogs around might make the doctor’s office more pleasant), scientist have found a way to implement their olfactory sense into diagnostic machines. They’ve created a device that can “smell” the chemicals being picked up by dogs that are linked to cancerous cells. While this area of study needs more funding before it is viable, the science is all there.

8 Diabetes Dogs

While this topic started out as purely anecdotal and charming stories to make headlines, it has become fact. Cases of dogs predicting low blood sugar in diabetes patients have occurred regularly enough that it became clear they could smell something we could not. Scientists began to look into these cases and studied the exhaled breath of diabetes patients. They discovered that when blood sugar drops to dangerously low levels, the amount of a chemical called isoprene nearly doubles. [3] Humans would never be able to notice such a thing, but the incredible noses of our noble pups can.

7 Airport Falconry

If you’ve seen the movie Sully, about a pilot whose plane suffers duel engine loss, causing him to perform an emergency water landing on the Hudson River in New York, this entry will sound familiar. The movie was based on a real event, in which birds flew into both engines of a plane soon after takeoff, causing them to break and stopping the plane from flying. You might think there should be a simple way to stop problems like this from occurring. It turns out there is.

6 Growing Human Organs In Animals

As of January 2017, almost 80,000 people in the US alone were awaiting some kind of organ transplant. It is apparent that not all of these people will find viable organs before it is too late. In lieu of transplantation, scientists have been searching for a way to grow healthy human organs independently. There has been some amount of success, even though the process still has a long way to go before it is commercially available.

Scientists have successfully grown human organs inside large animals, such as pigs. [5] Stem cells are taken from the transplant patient’s skin, and because they do not have determined growth, they can still grow into any type of organ or tissue. The main issue facing the medical community is that of morality. In order for the stem cells to grow into a needed organ, the animals must be engineered to develop without that organ so that the body can signal the undetermined cells to generate the required structure. There is currently a ban on using the procedure due to overwhelming complaints over the morality of using animals as vessels for human organ growth.

5 Cancer Immunity In Sharks

For all of us who fear sharks above all else and wish we could go for a swim in the ocean without the threat of shark attacks, just know that they may have genes that could save countless human lives. Recent studies have shown that sharks have an increased immunity to cancer due to their overall highly evolved immune systems. The scariest sharks out there, hammerheads and great whites, are the species which exhibit these extraordinary genes. The genes, known as “legumain” and “Bag1,” are remarkably similar to genes that humans carry.

Bag1 plays a role in what is known as apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Programmed cell death is much better than it sounds. The system evolved in order to get rid of defective cells, including cancerous ones. In the case of cancer, this system has broken down or been overwhelmed by mutated cells. Scientists believe Bag1 plays a role in the regulation of apoptosis. [6]

Sharks have an amazingly fast healing rate for open wounds as well as a shockingly low infection rate, especially when you factor in the constant contact with various bacteria that live in the ocean. It’ll still be a while before we figure out exactly how they heal so well, but specific genes found in sharks and rays but not bony fish appear to be a factor.

4 Dogs Sniffing For Science

Okay, this is the last dog fact, I promise. Sure, dogs are used to sniff out cancer or diabetes, but their noses can also help us indirectly. Scientists, ever thrifty, have found a low-cost and effective way to weed out invasive plant species: dogs trained to track them down in an effort to keep our nature beautiful and safe. [7] Companies that specialize in this kind of conservational science are currently thriving.

3 Algae Used In Biofuels

Yes, algae aren’t technically animals, but they still have some powerful uses that shock many people. Algae are now being developed as a source of renewable energy. From tiny single-celled organisms to giant kelp, their ability to photosynthesize can help save us from our energy crisis. There are thousands of different types of photosynthetic algae, all with unique properties. Using these organisms as fuel would be as cost-effective as the algae would be cheap to produce. [8] This could be the next step in sustainable, affordable energy.

The process is somewhat confusing for those of us not boasting a PhD, but it includes extracting lipids from the algae and subjecting them to high-intensity heat and pressure conditions, a procedure known as hydrothermal liquefaction. This will concentrate the amount of energy created by the algal cells and could ultimately be used in products from jet fuel to gasoline to ethanol. Big oil companies such as ExxonMobil have even been taking notice of the science behind algae. The development of this technology is still underway, but however you feel about big oil, there’s no denying the power of these tiny plants.

2 Oysters Removing Nitrogen

ExxonMobil started a project in 2014 which is planned to take until 2030 to complete and involves adding one billion oysters to the coastal ecosystem in New York. In the past three years since its inception, about 20 million oysters have already been placed. This is clearly a gigantic undertaking, taking up copious time, resources, and workers. However, it does ultimately serve a purpose. Mollusks, including oysters, retain nitrogen in their systems in order to maintain homeostasis. This will allow for a healthier marine ecosystem in surrounding areas, where too much nitrogen may be causing harmful algae to flourish.

Marine animals must find ways of dealing with nitrogen if they are to survive. Fish, mollusks, and other marine animals excrete ammonia through urine, which is highly toxic. Oysters, however, will store nitrogen and excrete waste in other forms. Ammonia carries only one nitrogen molecule, whereas releasing uric acid or urea will expel higher levels of nitrogen. In the case of New York Harbor, oysters will essentially pull in water with high nitrogen levels, filter it, and convert the nitrogen into less toxic forms, making the water safer and healthier. [9]

1 Plastic-Devouring Worms

One of the world’s largest pollution problems is plastic. It accumulates all over the planet and is constantly ending up in the ocean. If you walk along a polluted beach, you can find plastic from all over the world, some of which may have traveled thousands of miles from another continent. This problem claims the lives of thousands of sea creatures each year, and humans are always trying to come up with creative and cost-effective ways of reducing plastic use and pollution. Luckily, there is an animal that has already figured out a way to break down our plastic bag problem.

The larvae of wax moths, which are often used as bait by fisherman, have the ability to eat plastic without being harmed. [10] Since learning this, scientists have been studying these little worms to determine if they can really have a strong impact on lessening human waste. We know they have the ability to digest plastic, but it is unknown whether or not they can survive and thrive on plastic alone. The worms are also only a few centimeters long, so there would need to be a copious amount of them to make a dent. However, if they do indeed love plastic, they may in the near future be bred to be set loose on human trash.

The 7 Types Of Help Emotional Support Animals Can Give

There’s a lot of confusion out there about what an emotional support animal (ESA) actually is and how furry friends can help people with mental illnesses. Truthfully, there’s much more to this treatment method than red vests and airline bans, and — in a country where almost 20 percent of the population has a mental illness — it’s important to understand.

«The clinical meaning of an emotional support animal is any animal that provides help to its owner in overcoming or dealing with a specific disability,» Jane Reardon, LA licensed therapist and founder of RxBreakup tells Bustle. This differentiates ESAs from other forms of assistance animals. «[ESAs are not] trained to offer specific assistance to its owner to help accommodate a disability, which is what crucially distinguishes an ESA from a service dog protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act,» healthcare lawyer Erin K. Jackson, Managing Partner at Jackson LLP, tells Bustle. «These animals play fundamentally different roles in supporting their owners’ health.»

And even if you have the best intentions, your pet does not become an ESA if you fall for any ESA scams that involve downloading a «registration» form that comes up when you google «emotional support animal.» For proper support, patients can get prescribed ESAs by physicians and mental health professionals. With certification, an ESA gets two legal protections: the ability to fly with a person who has an emotional or psychological disability, and to qualify for no-pet housing. With this support, people with diagnoses like anxiety and depression can find healing in everyday life — despite the ESA stigma.

Here are seven ways emotional support animals actually help people.

They Help Produce Neurotransmitters

Antidepressants increase serotonin levels. And dogs increase dopamine and other neurochemicals associated with love and bonding. «There are studies that show that dopamine (a neurotransmitter associated with feeling pleasure) production is boosted by looking into your dogs’ eyes,» Reardon says. «This is a double win — it makes you feel less depressed and increases your capacity to love [and] care for another being.» So for people who tend towards loneliness, having an animal around can be an important tool in the toolkit to feel a little bit more safe and loved.

They Calm Anxiety On Planes

There’s a lot of nonsense going around with planes and animals these days, but for people with a diagnosis, having their ESA in flight can be very important. «An ESA can help make travel possible,» Jackson says. «Remember that not all travel is for a vacation. Many find travel excruciatingly difficult, but it’s sometimes necessary — whether for a funeral, to spend time with family, or for medical treatment. An ESA can help make this not just better, but possible.»

In flight, the ESA can be a form of support that works differently than medicine or other tactics. «Someone who experiences a lot anxiety about flying can stay focused on their ESA, instead of becoming overwhelmed by their fear of airplanes,» Reardon says. People with mental health conditions deserve the ability to travel, so if you end up seated next to someone with a dog, try to grant them the benefit of the doubt.

They Provide Unconditional Love

Having an ESA can help individuals with a diagnosis feel love that can be otherwise hard to find. «An emotional support animal can provide a feeling of connectedness and unconditional love that people may struggle to receive from others,» Richardson explains.

This doesn’t mean someone with an ESA is avoiding others or can’t connect with people; this love is simply another means for people with a mental health condition to get back on their feet. «An ESA can help someone who otherwise feels alone — in the world, in life, in their relationship — feel loved and accompanied,» Jackson says. «This can dramatically improve that person’s overall mental health and decrease the debilitating nature of their symptoms. It’s so important when encouraging them to reengage with the world.» Having a loving relationship with an ESA, then, can be a stepping stone to more meaningful human relationships.

They Work In Conjunction With Other Forms Of Treatment

It’s not just having the pet that provides support; ESAs can be integrated into certain treatment models that provide their owners with relief. «Emotional support animals are not a treatment in and of themselves, they are to be used in conjunction with other cognitive behavioral treatment in order to treat symptoms and help facilitate living the life you most want to live,» Richardson says.

Whatever form of therapy works for you; you may be able to find a way to incorporate your ESA into your treatment plan. «Pets can be utilized in mindfulness techniques that can help people ground themselves the present,» Richardson says. An example of this is the Trauma Resiliency Model, where you can use your ESA as a resource if you need to bring yourself down from an emotional high or low. And there’s even an app for this method to help get you started.

5 Ways Animals Help Humans

From physical and emotional support to transport, farming, and scientific study, animals help humans in many diverse ways.

Animals can help people deal with vision and hearing loss, loss of limbs, and illnesses such as diabetes and autism. Animals are a large part of the food industry, with almost all of the animal being used. They are also used in medical trials, transport, training, teaching, and being great companions.

Humans began domesticating animals around 16,000 years ago, although some scientists believe it could have been approximately 30,000 years ago. Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated and were used for herding and hunting.

Villagers would provide the dogs with food, shelter, and protection from predators like bears. There is no definite answer on where the first dogs were domesticated, but studies suggest it was either the Middle East or East Asia.

Roughly 6,000 years later, humans began domesticating livestock such as cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats. This continued over the centuries, with more animals being valued for what they could provide. This included chickens, turkeys and ducks, guinea pigs, horses and donkeys, deer, camels, and bees.

Service Animals

In modern times, dogs have been trained to be service and support animals. They assist people with a wide range of physical and mental ailments:

Many emergency services also use specially trained dogs to carry out important work alongside humans:

Dogs are bred in specialized breeding and training centers, where staff carefully match breeding dogs together. The puppies are put through simple tests such as confidence around people and new environments, curiosity, and excitement/engagement.

Puppies that do not pass the initial selection tests are rehomed as pets via partnered organizations. Puppies usually fail due to timidness, over excitement, or health-related reasons like joint or eye issues.

Food Industry

There is seemingly no end to what animals can provide when it comes to food. Whether cows, sheep, pigs, or goats, animals offer more than meat.

They also provide:

In today’s market, we try to use as much of the animals to reduce waste. Once the animal’s meat has been removed, the carcass is processed based on various uses. Skin is sent to clothing and shoe manufacturers; horns are used to make buttons for clothing and furniture. Bones are used for the pet food industry and bone china production.

Animal hair and wool are used for clothing, upholstery, strings for musical instruments, and bristles for paintbrushes. Even the hooves are used. They are sold as natural dog treats for the pet food industry and used to produce fire-extinguishing foam.

Even the smallest of animals are vital to our food industry. Bees are essential pollinators responsible for pollinating around 70% of our crops. Wild species pollinate most crops, but domesticated honeybees pollinate just over 30%.

Transport & Labour

Around 4000 BC, humans began using horses and donkeys for transport. Donkeys were used to carry construction materials such as bricks and bags of sand, while horses were ridden by humans or used to pull carriages.

Cows and other bovines were historically used as farm labor to pull plowing machinery that was too heavy for human use.

Horses also featured heavily during wartime, used to carry soldiers and weapons onto the battlefield. Many millions of horses have perished in wars since humans first domesticated them.

Today, horses are used mainly by the mounted police to patrol parks and rural areas and crowd control during major social events or emergencies like riots. They are also used to pull carriages for events such as weddings and funerals.

Dogs are also used for transport in cold and snowy climates. In the snowy landscapes of Canada and Alaska, dogs are used to pull sleds that transport people and supplies like food and medicine.

Medical Advancement

While animal testing has made many leaps forward in animal welfare, this process is still vital to scientific discovery and advances in medicine.

Heart disease is one of the most common causes of death in many developed countries, but animals can help reduce this. Recent studies have shown that losing a specific gene increases our risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.

Sharks have helped advance several areas of medicine, including cancer, wound healing, and Alzheimer’s disease. The 1999 film Deep Blue Sea was ahead of its time, as shark antibodies could treat Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s within the next decade.

Specially trained dogs can detect cancer cells and signal a person with cancer from a group of healthy people. Many stories of people report their dogs began acting strangely towards them, often nudging or pawing at a particular area of their body. Later tests revealed that these people had cancer.

Dogs are also used as therapy dogs. Dogs have increasingly been trained to provide therapeutic support for people with learning disabilities, emotional trauma, or mental health illnesses in the last ten years. Therapy dogs are often taken into hospitals and nursing homes to provide therapy and companionship for patients.

In the early 1900s, the average life expectancy of humans was 50 – 55 years. Today, with the advancement of medicine based on animal study and medication testing, our life expectancy has increased to 75 years.

There has always been debate about using animals for medical testing, and this will continue to be a contentious topic until an alternative form of safety testing is found.

Knowledge & Recreation

A lot of human study around animals is based on behavior and communication. Learning how animals communicate with one another and how their behavior changes to adapt to their environment teaches us a lot about the adaptation and evolution of species.

Animals are also used to study the effects of natural disasters and the increasing threat of climate change.

Many zoological parks have partnered with wildlife conservation projects to promote greener living, recycling, reducing our carbon footprint, and shedding light on illegal logging, which drastically reduces the habitat of many wild animal species.

But perhaps the most common way animals help humans is simple companionship. In North America alone, there are estimated to be almost 90 million cats and 80 million dogs. Some people also keep other pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs and rats, birds, ferrets, reptiles, and fish.

Some families also keep farm animals, including horses, goats, and chickens. These animals provide companionship, but they also provide food and clothing material. Chickens lay eggs, sheep produce wool, while goats, sheep, and cows produce milk.

Companion animals teach children a lot about responsibility and routine. Dogs must be walked every day. Pets require regular feeding, cleaning, and socialization to be healthy and happy.

There are countless ways in which animals help humans lead better lives, and in some ways, there are animals that humans cannot survive without.

References

Bardroff, J. (2021, February 5). Humans Would Not Exist Without These 5 Animals. Retrieved from One Green Planet: https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/animals-that-help-us-to-survive/

Bedford, C. (2020). Meet the dogs helping emergency services to investigate fires and find missing people. Grimsby: Grimsby Live.

The Health and Mood-Boosting Benefits of Pets

Pets come with some powerful health benefits. Here’s how caring for a dog, cat, or other animal can help relieve depression and anxiety, lower stress, and improve your heart health.

The benefits of pets

Most pet owners are clear about the immediate joys that come with sharing their lives with companion animals. However, many of us remain unaware of the physical and mental health benefits that can also accompany the pleasure of snuggling up to a furry friend. It’s only recently that studies have begun to scientifically explore the benefits of the human-animal bond.

Pets have evolved to become acutely attuned to humans and our behavior and emotions. Dogs, for example, are able to understand many of the words we use, but they’re even better at interpreting our tone of voice, body language, and gestures. And like any good human friend, a loyal dog will look into your eyes to gauge your emotional state and try to understand what you’re thinking and feeling (and to work out when the next walk or treat might be coming, of course).

Pets, especially dogs and cats, can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve your cardiovascular health. Caring for an animal can help children grow up more secure and active. Pets also provide valuable companionship for older adults. Perhaps most importantly, though, a pet can add real joy and unconditional love to your life.

Any pet can improve your health

While it’s true that people with pets often experience greater health benefits than those without, a pet doesn’t necessarily have to be a dog or a cat. A rabbit could be ideal if you’re allergic to other animals or have limited space but still want a furry friend to snuggle with. Birds can encourage social interaction and help keep your mind sharp if you’re an older adult. Snakes, lizards, and other reptiles can make for exotic companions. Even watching fish in an aquarium can help reduce muscle tension and lower your pulse rate.

Studies have shown that:

One of the reasons for these therapeutic effects is that pets fulfill the basic human need for touch. Even hardened criminals in prison show long-term changes in their behavior after interacting with pets, many of them experiencing mutual affection for the first time. Stroking, hugging, or otherwise touching a loving animal can rapidly calm and soothe you when you’re stressed or anxious. The companionship of a pet can also ease loneliness, and most dogs are a great stimulus for healthy exercise, which can substantially boost your mood and ease depression.

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How pets can help you make healthy lifestyle changes

Adopting healthy lifestyle changes plays an important role in easing symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, bipolar disorder, and PTSD. Caring for a pet can help you make healthy lifestyle changes by:

Increasing exercise. Taking a dog for a walk, hike, or run are fun and rewarding ways to fit healthy daily exercise into your schedule. Studies have shown that dog owners are far more likely to meet their daily exercise requirements—and exercising every day is great for the animal as well. It will deepen the connection between you, eradicate most behavior problems in dogs, and keep your pet fit and healthy.

Providing companionship. Companionship can help prevent illness and even add years to your life, while isolation and loneliness can trigger symptoms of depression. Caring for an animal can help make you feel needed and wanted, and take the focus away from your problems, especially if you live alone. Most dog and cat owners talk to their pets, some even use them to work through their troubles. And nothing beats loneliness like coming home to a wagging tail or purring cat.

Helping you meet new people. Pets can be a great social lubricant for their owners, helping you start and maintain new friendships. Dog owners frequently stop and talk to each other on walks, hikes, or in a dog park. Pet owners also meet new people in pet stores, clubs, and training classes.

Reducing anxiety. The companionship of an animal can offer comfort, help ease anxiety, and build self-confidence for people anxious about going out into the world. Because pets tend to live in the moment—they don’t worry about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow—they can help you become more mindful and appreciate the joy of the present.

Adding structure and routine to your day. Many pets, especially dogs, require a regular feeding and exercise schedule. Having a consistent routine keeps an animal balanced and calm—and it can work for you, too. No matter your mood—depressed, anxious, or stressed—one plaintive look from your pet and you’ll have to get out of bed to feed, exercise, and care for them.

Providing sensory stress relief. Touch and movement are two healthy ways to quickly manage stress. Stroking a dog, cat, or other animal can lower blood pressure and help you quickly feel calmer and less stressed.

Get a dog, lose weight

A number of studies have linked owning a dog to losing weight:

The benefits of pets for older adults

As well as providing vital companionship, owning a pet can play an important role in healthy aging by helping you to:

Find meaning and joy in life. As you age, you’ll lose things that previously occupied your time and gave your life purpose. You may retire from your career or your children may move far away. Caring for a pet can bring pleasure and help boost your morale, optimism, and sense of self-worth. Choosing to adopt a pet from a shelter, especially an older pet, can add to your sense of fulfillment, knowing that you’ve provided a home to a pet that may otherwise have been euthanized.

Stay connected. Maintaining a social network isn’t always easy as you grow older. Retirement, illness, death, and relocation can take away close friends and family members. And making new friends can get harder. Pets, especially dogs, are a great way for older adults to spark up conversations and meet new people.

Boost your vitality. You can overcome many of the physical challenges associated with aging by taking good care of yourself. Dogs, cats, and other pets encourage playfulness, laughter, and exercise, which can help boost your immune system and increase your energy.

How pets help adults with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia

As part of the disease, Alzheimer’s patients may exhibit a variety of behavioral problems, many related to an inability to deal with stress.

The benefits of pets for children

Not only do children who grow up with pets have less risk of allergies and asthma, many also learn responsibility, compassion, and empathy from having a dog or cat.

Like adults, children can benefit from playing with a pet. It can be a source of calmness and relaxation, as well as a source of stimulation for the brain and body. Playing with a pet can even be a doorway to learning for a child. It can stimulate a child’s imagination and curiosity. The rewards of training a dog to perform a new trick, for example, can teach kids the importance of perseverance. Caring for a furry friend can also offer another benefit to a child: immense joy.

Children with learning disorders and other challenges

Some children with autism or other learning difficulties are better able to interact with pets than people. Autistic children often rely on nonverbal cues to communicate, just as animals do. And learning to first connect with a pet may even help an autistic child in their interactions with people.

Owning a pet is a major commitment

Despite all the benefits, it’s important to remember that a pet is not a miracle cure for mental health issues. Owning a pet is beneficial and comforting only for those who love and appreciate domestic animals and have the time and money to keep a pet happy and healthy. If you’re simply not an “animal person,” pet ownership is not going to provide you with any health benefits or improve your life.

Even if you love animals, it’s important to understand everything that caring for a pet entails. Owning a pet is a major commitment that will last through the animal’s lifetime, perhaps 10 or 15 years in the case of dogs. And at the end of that commitment, you’ll face the grief and mourning that comes with losing a beloved companion.

Other drawbacks to owning a pet include:

Pets cost money. Food bills, veterinary care, licenses, grooming costs, toys, bedding, boarding fees, and other maintenance expenses can mount up. If you’re unemployed or elderly, on a limited fixed income, it may be a struggle to cope with the expense of pet ownership.

Pets require time and attention. As any dog owner will tell you, there’s nothing therapeutic about coming home to a dog that has been locked up in the house on his own all day. Dogs need daily exercise to stay calm and well-balanced; most other pets require at least daily care and attention.

Owning a pet can curb some of your social activity. A dog can only be left alone for a limited time. By training your dog, you’ll be able to take him with you to visit friends, run errands, or sit outside a coffee shop, for example, but you won’t be able to leave for a spur of the moment weekend away without arranging care for your pet first.

Pets can be destructive. Any pet can have an occasional accident at home. Some cats may be prone to shredding upholstery, some dogs to chewing shoes. While training can help eradicate negative, destructive behavior, they remain common in animals left alone without exercise or stimulation for long periods of time.

Pets require responsibility. Most dogs, regardless of size and breed, are capable of inflicting injury on people if not handled responsibly by their owners. Even cats can scratch or bite. Pet owners need to be alert to any danger, especially around children.

Pets carry health risks for some people. While there are some diseases that can be transmitted from cats and dogs to their human handlers, allergies are the most common health risk of pet ownership. If you or a family member has been diagnosed with a pet allergy, carefully consider whether you can live with the symptoms before committing to pet ownership. Also consider that some friends or relatives with allergies may no longer be able to visit your home if you have a pet.

How to find the perfect pet

If you’ve decided that owning a pet is right for you, congratulations: you’re about to open your life to a unique and rewarding relationship. While people who have pets tend to be happier, more independent, and feel more secure than those without pets, it’s important to select the type of pet that best suits your needs and lifestyle.

Talk to other members of your household and agree on the qualities you want in a pet and those that you’d prefer to avoid. In the case of dogs, man’s best friend comes in countless breeds or mix of breeds, each offering a different blend of personality traits.

If you’re looking for something smaller or with less energy, then maybe a cat or a rabbit would be right for you and your family. Here are some things to ask yourself when looking for the perfect pet:

Ultimately, when choosing a pet, be honest with yourself about the lifestyle you enjoy and the kind of pet you’d like to care for. If you’re in doubt about caring for a larger animal, start small, get a fish or a smaller, caged animal. See how it fits and go from there.

Shelter and rescue animals

Whether mixed breed or purebred, dogs and cats adopted from a shelter or rescue group make excellent pets. For the most part, pets end up in a shelter through no fault of their own. Their owner may have died or moved to a place that doesn’t allow pets, or the pet may have simply been abandoned by irresponsible owners who bought them on a whim and later discovered that they were unable or unwilling to care for them properly. If any shelter or rescue animal exhibits aggressive behavior, it is typically euthanized rather than offered for adoption.

Rescue groups try to find suitable homes for unwanted or abandoned dogs, cats, and other pets, many taken from shelters where they would otherwise have been euthanized. Volunteers usually take care of the animals until they can find a permanent home. This means that rescuers are often very familiar with a pet’s personality and can help advise you on whether the pet would make a good match for your needs.

By adopting an animal from a shelter or rescue organization, you’ll not only be giving a home to a deserving pet, but you’ll also likely be saving an animal’s life.

Alternatives to pet ownership

If you don’t have the time, money, or ability to own a pet full-time, there are still ways you can experience the health benefits of being around animals. You can ask to walk a neighbor’s dog, for example, or volunteer at an animal shelter. Most animal shelters or rescue groups welcome volunteers to help care for homeless pets or assist at adoption events. You’ll not only be helping yourself, but also helping to socialize and exercise the animals, making them more adoptable.

Some animal shelters and rescue groups offer pet “rental” programs. Dogs and cats that are available for adoption can be taken out for walks or play dates. You can also foster an animal temporarily until a permanent home is found for him, or to decide if the animal is right for you.

A variety of different organizations offer specially trained therapy dogs and cats to visit children’s hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospice programs, shelters, and schools. During these visits, people are invited to pet and stroke the animals, which can improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety.

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Описание презентации по отдельным слайдам:

How do animals help people?

Степени сравнения многосложных прилагательных образуются так:
в сравнительной степени
прибавляем слово more,
в превосходной степени
прибавляем слово (the) most.

to carry things

to give clothes and food

to take for a walk

to make a house

Краткое описание документа:

Презентация по английскому языку по теме «How do animals help people?» для 4 класса к УМК «Enloy English» М.З.Биболетовой. Урок посвящен грамматическому материалу как образуются степени сравнения у многосложных прилагательных, а также как помогают нам и помогаем мы животным. В конце презентации есть упражнение для учеников на составление рассказа о любом животном,опираясь на начальные слова в предложениях.

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Московский институт профессиональной
переподготовки и повышения
квалификации педагогов

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