If you’re a Pet Parent, we don’t need to spend any time convincing you that your pet positively affects your emotions. But that’s not just your opinion. Research on the topic has shown that pets can help us achieve better long-term physical and mental health. To help us understand why, we invited ABC News contributor, Dr. Darien Sutton, to talk about his own experiences as well as the studies on ways that pets affect the emotional well-being of their parents.

Tune in to learn:

• How does having a pet affect a person’s brain? (4:20) • The roles that animals play in people’s medical journeys (7:35) • Is there a future where medical professionals can play a more active role in pairing humans with pets who can help them? (9:15) • How can humans better take care of themselves so they can be the best Pet Parents? (14:25) • How pets can help children learn valuable life lessons (25:00)

Mentions:

• Life’s Essential Eight https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001078 • The Power of Pets: Health Benefits of Human-Animal Interactions https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/power-pets Life with Pets is sponsored by Buddies by Blue Buffalo. Learn more at LifewithPetsPodcast.com

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