Blog Post - Unsung Heroes of the Pandemic: Dogs

This week I read an interesting story of how coping with the isolation, fear and sadness of the pandemic may have been a little easier if you had a trusting and loving dog by your side.

"When you ask people, 'Why is your dog important to you? What does your dog bring to you?' People will say that it's companionship. It's the feeling of belonging to a group that includes your family dog. It keeps people busy," said Martin, who is section leader for the Behavior and Welfare Group at Nestle Purina in St. Joseph, Mo. "If you have a dog, you have to walk the dog, you have to exercise the dog. It gives you a sense of purpose. Whether it helps you mentally or just physically they discussed.

His team saw the pandemic as a unique time to better understand how dogs provide social support to their owners and how they can provide affection, companionship and entertainment.