Because...
There are some basic reasons why the AWE Program exists. For instance, CJ Puotinen, author of Natural Remedies for Dogs and Cats, Value Books 2003, noted that,"Elderly pet owners experience less psychological distress, fewer doctor visits, and less depression than those without pets."On Kind Planet's main site, the Animal Assisted Activities and Therapy article explains that a caring animal has been shown to lower blood pressure, cheer up the depressed and motivate the apathetic. We've also heard some amazing stories about animals helping their guardians. Here's one of our favorites.
Arnold, a potbellied pig, calls two humans and several cats his family. When his human mom, Mary, hada heart attack and lay still on the floor, Arnold knew just what to do.
He squeezed himself through the cat's door, despite the fact that it was too small and scraped his tummy. He then ran out into the road and performed the one trick that always commanded attention, "dead piggy."
No cars passed. Arnold ran back home and squeezed through the door to check on Mary. There was no change. He ran back through the cat door, scraping his stomach again, this time causing it to bleed. Arnold continued to run back and forth from the road to Mary, until a man finally drove by. Seeing the bleeding,seemingly injured pig lying in the road, he stopped his car. As soon as he knew he had the man's attention, Arnold ran back to the house, checking to see that the man was following. The man found Mary, still unconscious on the floor and called paramedics. If he'd done so fifteen minutes later, Mary would not be with us today to tell the story...
Do You Have A Miraculous Companion Animal Story?
We would love to share more stories about how much animals give to us. If you would like to share, Please Tell Us Your Story! We'll get it online as soon as possible.