Less stress. Lots of love.
Best Friend Fridays™ celebrate our pet companions who are always there for us – helping us handle stress and boosting our physical and mental health. Having a pet is a Healthy Bond for Life™ that may help you live a longer, healthier life! (And we’ve got the science to prove it.)
Pets can help you:
- deal with stress
- get more exercise and meet fitness goals
- feel less lonely and isolated
- lose weight
- lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- recover after a health event
Owning a dog can help prevent chronic conditions such as diabetes and depression, and simply petting a dog helps lower blood pressure.
Pets get us through hard times.
During the pandemic, according to a Rover survey:
- 53% of U.S. adults got a new dog, 32% got a new cat and 14% got both.
- 93% said their “pandemic pet” improved their mental and/or physical well-being.
- 80% said it made working from home more enjoyable, and they were able to bond with their pet more during this time.
- Pets make work better.
- 40% of pet owners feel anxious about leaving pets at home if they go back to work in person.
- 44% would consider changing jobs for a pet-friendly workplace and 37% would give up vacation time and take a pay cut to bring their pet to work.
- Having a pet around while working can help reduce stress, increase productivity and improve employee satisfaction, teamwork and collaboration.
At work or at play, pets are the best. Take time each Friday to celebrate your pets and all they add to your life and post a photo or video using #BestFriendFridays.
Learn more about Healthy Bond for Life’s Best Friend Fridays at heart.org/pets.
