How Pets Help Us Heal

Group A
Adriene Hughes calls her 1._________________________ dog, Peso, her
little "sleep assistant." While she was undergoing chemotherapy, he would
sleep in the crook of her waist as she napped. "Just the sheer
2._____________________ of his body next to mine would be enough to
make me feel as if I was not alone," she says.

An Arabian stallion helped me through depression

Dawn McLean says she and Arabian stallion Chris "made an unlikely pair"
when they met 20 years ago. Dawn was starting 3.___________________,
determined to beat her 4.______________________. Chris was aggressive
and untrusting, the victim of abuse by a 5.____________________ owner.
But when Dawn struggled with the therapy and was tempted to give up, it
was the 6.___________________________ that Chris needed her care that
kept her going. It took two years to overcome the depression. Today, Dawn
lives 7._____________________ in Arizona with her own horse ranch. "I
am profoundly 8._______________________ to the fiery stallion who
showed me how to live," she says. Chris died of liver
9.____________________ three years ago, but his healing effect endures.
I got a dog and got off medication
Jacky Lathrop, 24, began having chest pain, numbness in her arms and legs,
and 10.____________________ spells shortly after graduating from college
in May 2006. Her doctor told her she was having severe panic attacks and
prescribed a 11._______________________ to help with
12._____________________. But she hated taking the medication and
eventually found the path to a 13.____________________-free life—with
1
her dog, Bentley. "It is not by chance or luck though," she says. "I am
14._______________________ that it is my dog. Bentley is my constant. I
am never alone and I have complete trust in him. If he was not with me all
the time I have no doubt that my panic attacks would return. As long as he’s
there, I am my happy, 15.______________________, normal self." Today, a
year and a half after the attacks, Jacky has moved from Boston to suburban
Pennsylvania, bought a house, and gotten 16.________________________.
Plus, she is off the meds.
Our cat calms my son
Linda Herbert’s son Jon, 25, suffered a severe head
17._____________________ in a car accident six years ago. Jon has made a
great 18.________________________, but he still has some memory
problems and is often restless, Linda says. He can easily become upset or
19.________________________ because of damage to the frontal lobe of
his brain. But their 15-year-old cat, Bugsy, has proven to be a
20._____________________ friend through it all. "Bugsy has always had a
calming effect on Jon," says Linda, "but it is much more
21._________________________ since Jon’s accident." When Bugsy curls
up in Jon’s lap, Linda says, Jon happily pets the cat and is immediately more
22._______________________.

Group B
Adopting dogs cured my insomnia

2
After 12 years in an 23.___________________________ building that didn’t
allow pets, Lori Simon moved to a small house with her daughter and
24._________________________ two dogs, Roxy and Obi, from a local
animal 25._________________________. Before the dogs came into her
life, Lori had often felt "generally unwell" and sometimes went days without
sleeping. Her two new best friends caused “unquestionable”
26.____________________________, Lori says: "I have slept all night,
every night, ever since. I feel years younger." Roxy and Obi get her up and
active too; previously, she would often just sit at home. The dogs' positive
27._______________________ rubs off. "Every morning when we wake up
they wiggle around in 28.__________________________ about the new
day," she says. "It’s hard to not catch a little of their enthusiasm."
My dog is my bedside nurse
Sandi Sheehan has been having trouble getting
29.______________________ since 2006, and it was
30._______________________ her. But her husband reminded her that she
was already a mom—to their 3-year-old Australian shepherd, Jake.
“Whether it was his reliance on me to feed him, his
31._________________________ for me to bathe him, his allowing me to
put him in his seat belt when he goes with me in the car, (or)
32.________________________ me while tending to his boo-boos, Jake has
been my model of boundless unconditional love, companionship, and

3
support, 33._______________________ when I have felt I am at my wit's
end." Sandi is undergoing in vitro fertilization therapy in her California
home, with Jake as bedside nurse, cuddling during
34._____________________________ shots. "He hops up onto (the) bed
and lies at my feet when I feel like I can’t do this
35._______________________," she says. "He gives me wet kisses at the
precise moment I need a dose of hope."
My greyhound and I nursed each other back to health
Retired racing greyhound Joe Pye went to live with Sue Mooney Durango
and her family in their Colorado home after his right front leg was
36.__________________________. "Throughout his hospitalization and
37._____________________, he remained brave, friendly, and kind to
everyone he encountered," Sue says. "I will never forget how each day he
tried a little more, and how 38._____________________ we all were when
he made it around the block for the first time." Just a few months later, Sue
underwent hip replacement 39._______________________. She says she
had support from family and friends, as well as a great team of doctors, but it
was Joe that really helped her through this 40._______________________
time. "Joe was there for me as a loving ‘son’ and role model," she says.

How Pets Help Us Heal

Group A

4
Adriene Hughes calls her boyfriend's dog, Peso, her little "sleep assistant."
While she was undergoing chemotherapy, he would sleep in the crook of
her waist as she napped. "Just the sheer presence of his body next to mine
would be enough to make me feel as if I was not alone," she says.

An Arabian stallion helped me through depression

Dawn McLean says she and Arabian stallion Chris "made an unlikely
pair" when they met 20 years ago. Dawn was starting therapy, determined
to beat her depression. Chris was aggressive and untrusting, the victim of
abuse by a previous owner.

But when Dawn struggled with the therapy and was tempted to give up, it
was the knowledge that Chris needed her care that kept her going. It took
two years to overcome the depression. Today, Dawn lives happily in
Arizona with her own horse ranch. "I am profoundly grateful to the fiery
stallion who showed me how to live," she says. Chris died of liver disease
three years ago, but his healing effect endures.
I got a dog and got off medication
Jacky Lathrop, 24, began having chest pain, numbness in her arms and
legs, and dizzy spells shortly after graduating from college in May 2006.
Her doctor told her she was having severe panic attacks and prescribed a
medication to help with anxiety. But she hated taking the medication and
eventually found the path to a panic-free life—with her dog, Bentley. "It is
not by chance or luck though," she says. "I am convinced that it is my dog.
Bentley is my constant. I am never alone and I have complete trust in him.
If he was not with me all the time I have no doubt that my panic attacks
5
would return. As long as he’s there, I am my happy, energetic, normal
self." Today, a year and a half after the attacks, Jacky has moved from
Boston to suburban Pennsylvania, bought a house, and gotten engaged.
Plus, she is off the meds.
Our cat calms my son
Linda Herbert’s son Jon, 25, suffered a severe head injury in a car accident
six years ago. Jon has made a great recovery, but he still has some
memory problems and is often restless, Linda says. He can easily become
upset or agitated because of damage to the frontal lobe of his brain. But
their 15-year-old cat, Bugsy, has proven to be a helpful friend through it
all. "Bugsy has always had a calming effect on Jon," says Linda, "but it is
much more noticeable since Jon’s accident." When Bugsy curls up in
Jon’s lap, Linda says, Jon happily pets the cat and is immediately more
relaxed.

Group B
Adopting dogs cured my insomnia

6
After 12 years in an apartment building that didn’t allow pets, Lori Simon
moved to a small house with her daughter and adopted two dogs, Roxy
and Obi, from a local animal shelter. Before the dogs came into her life,
Lori had often felt "generally unwell" and sometimes went days without
sleeping. Her two new best friends caused “unquestionable” improvement,
Lori says: "I have slept all night, every night, ever since. I feel years
younger." Roxy and Obi get her up and active too; previously, she would
often just sit at home. The dogs' positive attitude rubs off. "Every morning
when we wake up they wiggle around in excitement about the new day,"
she says. "It’s hard to not catch a little of their enthusiasm."
My dog is my bedside nurse
Sandi Sheehan has been having trouble getting pregnant since 2006, and it
was depressing her. But her husband reminded her that she was already a
mom—to their 3-year-old Australian shepherd, Jake. “Whether it was his
reliance on me to feed him, his willingness for me to bathe him, his
allowing me to put him in his seat belt when he goes with me in the car,
(or) trusting me while tending to his boo-boos, Jake has been my model of
boundless unconditional love, companionship, and support, especially
when I have felt I am at my wit's end." Sandi is undergoing in vitro
fertilization therapy in her California home, with Jake as bedside nurse,
cuddling during uncomfortable shots. "He hops up onto (the) bed and lies
at my feet when I feel like I can’t do this anymore," she says. "He gives
me wet kisses at the precise moment I need a dose of hope."
My greyhound and I nursed each other back to health
Retired racing greyhound Joe Pye went to live with Sue Mooney Durango
and her family in their Colorado home after his right front leg was
7
amputated. "Throughout his hospitalization and rehab, he remained brave,
friendly, and kind to everyone he encountered," Sue says. "I will never
forget how each day he tried a little more, and how excited we all were
when he made it around the block for the first time." Just a few months
later, Sue underwent hip replacement surgery. She says she had support
from family and friends, as well as a great team of doctors, but it was Joe
that really helped her through this difficult time. "Joe was there for me as
a loving ‘son’ and role model," she says.