Pets can be a lifeline to those struggling with mental health and addiction.
Pets have always been more than just companions; they play a pivotal role in enhancing our mental well-being. From the unconditional love of a dog to the calming presence of a cat, pets have a unique way of alleviating stress, anxiety, and loneliness. But how do we truly harness the therapeutic potential of our furry, feathered, or scaled friends? How can they aid in promoting mindfulness, reducing depression, or even enhancing social interactions? In this interview series, we are talking to veterinarians, psychologists, therapists, pet trainers, and other experts who can shed light on how to maximize the mental health benefits of having a pet. As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. Dawn Filos.
Dr. Dawn Filos grew up in New Jersey in a family of eccentric animal lovers, preparing her for a lifelong career spent with like-minded pet people. She was a veterinarian in Pennsylvania for over thirty years. After retiring, she realized a decades-long dream to add “pet portraitist” to her list of talents; she also blogs at www.drdawnthepetvet.com. She now splits her time between Scottsdale, Arizona, and East Hampton, New York, where she pursues her art and enjoys outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, and spending time at the beach.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we start, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your background and your childhood backstory?
Ihave been a small animal veterinarian for more than 32 years. It was a natural choice of profession for someone raised in a family of animal lovers. We even had a pet monkey! I decided to become a veterinarian in the first grade, when my dog was hit by a car. The extensive visits to a specialty surgical center made an enormous impression on me. Everyone there saw pets as family members, thus worth the cost and commitment to provide them with the best care and quality lives.
My career came full circle when, 20 years into practicing, I started my own house call practice. I like to say that I found my professional “home” in the homes of my patients and their families. It allowed me all the time needed to be present for them and by extension, a better veterinarian, in the uninterrupted, intimate home environment. It was a game changer for me in my career. I haven’t had a single dull day at work, and cherish the relationships I have forged with families and their pets.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
Gee, that is a tough one. My career is full of interesting stories, and so much so that I authored a book about them. One does stand out though, and mainly because it signaled a change in me__and a change for the better.
A few years into my house call practice, I met a client named Betty, who lived alone with her cat Buddy. It is important to mention that I have always had a particular fondness for senior clients, and especially curmudgeons, who I saw as a challenge to connect with, and maybe get a chuckle out of, when appropriate. I began my house call practice, in large part, to accommodate senior clients who often didn’t drive, and I was moved to know that their pets were often the only constant companion they would have for weeks on end. The emotional support pets provided to widows and widowers made my role in their pets’ lives and, by extension, their lives, a motivation for me to provide the best care I could.
Thus, Betty entered into my life. She was a spitfire, and, to be honest, mean to my staff, and, at times, me. She refused to confine her lovely kitty Buddy to a powder room, where we could easily greet and capture him, and do the medical exam and testing as needed. Instead, the chasing and lifting of furniture ensued each visit, with her yelling at us about how incompetent we were, etc. My staff dreaded those visits, as did I. Yet still we went, not wanting to give up on Buddy, and her.
One day, while she was arguing about the cost and necessity of each line item on my bill, she begrudgingly handed me the check, while sitting in her red velvet recliner. I inadvertently leaned on the recline button as I bent to accept the check. She was not happy! I apologized and quickly hit the button to sit her back up and accidentally reclined her even further, with her now facing the ceiling and yelling at me. My response, as I leaned over, now inches from her face, was to laugh uncontrollably. She had no choice but to laugh, and that day turned the tide of our relationship.
From then on, her calls became more friendly, referring to me as Honey. During this time, Buddy became terminally ill, and by the time his disease progressed and we were planning his humane euthanasia, she and I grew close. It was a terribly sad day when we said goodbye to Buddy, as well as Betty, who refused to adopt another cat, in spite of my efforts to help her do so.
Before meeting Betty, I thought I was patient and kind. She showed me the real meaning of patience, having found it in myself once I truly saw her and what in her situation made her so “difficult.” Understanding her better, although a challenge, taught me more about myself and how I needed to improve. She made me a better veterinarian, as well as, dare I say, a better human.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Almost every veterinarian you meet will admit to having been heavily influenced by James Herriot’s series of books, beginning with All Creatures Great and Small, but I am no different.
But I took the idea of a small-town veterinarian one step further when I started my mobile practice. I had tried to retain anonymity in my career, going as far as to use my maiden name professionally, and my married name personally. Days at the office can be long and draining. I was not keen on having clients know where I lived and showing up at my doorstep, often with an emergency or question they deemed important to answer in person.
That all changed when I started the house call practice and saw friends and neighbors as clients. Supermarket trips took longer, as I ran into families who updated me on their pets. It annoyed my family at times but was wonderful for me. I recreated my childhood, where I lived in a small town and the local general practitioner, Dr. Miller, greeted us everywhere. We all knew him and he us, and it was a dream of mine realized in the decade of my mobile practice. I became the modern-day James Herriot in many ways.
Can you share a personal story about how a pet has helped you or someone you know to improve mental wellness?
I have a client named James, who relocated after his divorce to a neighborhood with many mobile homes. He had been depressed, and suffered from severe back pain due to an injury. It limited his ability to get around, drive, and see old friends. He had actually lost touch with many of the friends he and his wife had shared, and shared his disappointment with me during many visits to his home for cat exams.
Soon after he moved there, he adopted a cat named BMO. He quickly adopted Elasticat. But he had more love to give, and he noticed several stray cats roaming through the development. He purchased a heated, outdoor cat house for them. This soon became inadequate to house the number of cats that came calling. He knew this because he had set up heat activated night vision cameras to monitor the activity in and around the house.
Soon he had several houses and cameras dispersed throughout the area. He had food and water bowls set up at each corner. And James soon made several friends, all of whom were animal lovers. He became quite well known as a self-described “crazy cat dad”, displayed on a t-shirt he proudly wore for one of my house call visits.
I couldn’t help note the bounce in his step. He truly found a new life devoted to caring for the cats, and a set of friends that were conveniently located within walking distance of his home.
He admitted his depression, and that it had lifted. He was proud of his status as unofficial cat wrangler.
While human interaction is essential for emotional well-being, in what ways do interactions with pets offer unique benefits that human relationships might not provide?
Living with pets gives us unconditional love and a source of nonjudgemental affection, key in this day and age, especially with teens, who often exist in a world of online social media where judgment is the rule, not the exception. Pets and caring for them can help patients manage their emotions and increase their self-worth. Animals are dependent on us as caretakers, and we are held accountable each day to make sure they are properly cared for, fed, and exercised. This routine gives caretakers a feeling of control, imparting a sense of security, as well as companionship.
It became especially evident during the early part of the pandemic, as pets provided people, and particularly children, with a source of stress-reducing companionship, positive outlets for joy and laughter, and a safe haven for physical touch and emotional vulnerability. It can make a difference for those struggling with psychiatric issues.
This relationship with pets, in comparison to human relationships, is a reliable constant, with emotions never wavering, nor grudges never being held, and that constancy is a source of invaluable comfort.
Add to that the pets who are trained as service dogs, who can detect low blood glucose, an impending seizure, immediate intervention in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) episodes, as well as providing independence as a seeing eye dog… the list of pet-specific benefits is long indeed.
Can you explain how this works? How do pets, particularly common ones like dogs and cats, biologically and psychologically help to alleviate stress levels and anxieties?
Common household pets, such as dogs and cats, but not limited to those species, can be a source of both biological and psychological assistance in alleviating stress levels and anxiety.
The act of stroking or petting a pet, defining a human-dog or human-pet interaction with contact, can positively influence one’s heart rate in causing variability in the rate, an increase in oxytocin (the “happiness hormone”) and decrease cortisol (often referred to as the body’s “stress hormone”).
It can also regulate breathing while decreasing muscle tension. Further studies have shown that pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels than they did before they adopted pets.
Additional studies have shown that pets have a positive effect on sleep quality in young children, while there are additional health benefits experienced through relaxation, bonding and stress reduction. Dog walking and the physical exercise it requires is just one of the benefits, as well as encouraging routines and giving dog walkers an opportunity to interact with others. In children, dog walking also provides a way to be more physically active, while functioning as a break from screen time.
There are also psychological benefits. Other research has shown that being an animal caretaker protects against anxiety. Elderly persons who live alongside pets tend to be less lonely and less depressed, and patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease tend to have lower stress levels and fewer than patients who do not live with pets.
In the backdrop of global events like pandemics or natural disasters, how have you seen pets playing a role in alleviating anxiety and providing comfort? Can you share some instances where pets have been integrated into therapeutic practices? How do they complement traditional therapeutic techniques?
I have discussed a few examples of COVID-based studies that demonstrated the benefits of living with pets during the pandemic for adults and children. The physical benefits aligned and crossed over at times, such as walking dogs helped both age groups get more exercise, got them away from screen time, and helped them meet others who were walking dogs while being at a socially acceptable distance. In some instances, people connected with others- including neighbors who they may not have interacted with before the pandemic — due to being home more.
Separate from that, there have been several studies that revealed the benefits of integrating pets into therapeutic practices and specifically, those practices that are psychiatric and psychologic.
Although the therapeutic benefits of horses have been recognized for years, there has been a deliberate inclusion of dogs into human health and wellbeing interventions, known as Animal-assisted interventions (AAI), an umbrella term encompassing both Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Animal-Assisted Activity (AAA). AAAs have been defined as “informal human-animal interactions and interventions conducted by human-animal teams that are goal oriented for motivational, educational, and recreational purposes.” AATs are “goal-oriented, structured, and individualized therapeutic interventions, often delivered or directed by licensed healthcare professionals as part of a treatment process.” (3) I will leave any more specific details to the psychiatric professionals contributing to this article.
That said, there have been studies that I have been interested in while researching my book, Tales of a Pet Vet. Stories from the Clinic and House Calls, which incorporated animal-assisted therapy, in the form of AAI, in mental health treatments for adolescents. Canine Assisted Therapy (CAP) was found to have a positive impact on primary diagnoses and symptomology, conferring additional benefits to standard treatments for internalizing disorders and PTSD, and equivalent effects for anxiety, anger and externalizing disorders. CAP was associated with positive impacts on secondary factors including increased engagement and socialization behaviors, and reductions in disruptive behaviors within treatment sessions.
Furthermore, CAP may confer additional benefits via secondary factors that improve therapeutic processes and quality, such as attendance and retention, positive socialization, and a feeling of connection.
Lastly, I have had some personal experiences in connection with anxious people being aided by dogs as part of their therapeutic anxiety and PTSD protocols of treatment, Two examples stand out. One was a case of a trained therapy dog who assisted a rape victim confront her assailant in court as she defended herself as well as her lawyer. Another is that of my own dentist, who enlists the help of a therapy-trained golden retriever every Monday for those patients who need that extra bit of emotional support for dental procedures. He is a lovely, patient, sweet addition to their team and everyone loves him.
Not all pets are dogs or cats. From birds to fish to reptiles, how can individuals choose the right pet that aligns with their mental health needs?
Any future pet owner/parent should ideally think and reflect thoroughly on their own lifestyle, hours available to be home with a pet, time available to walk or exercise them, and not jump into selecting the cutest puppy or kitten they meet. Never, ever bring young children along on the first go around, because you will surely be taking home a pet, whether or not you have thought it through, given that your offspring are their cooing and cuddling the next 12–15 years of your life in their hands, in terms of commitment.
That said, if you are able to plan before you leap, think about the following if you are in the market for a pet. Fish, birds, reptiles, hamsters, rats, guinea pigs, ferrets and chinchillas are examples of pets that are easier to care for if your work days are long or you live in a high rise that makes walking a dog a challenge. The emotional benefits of pet ownership are not limited to dogs and cats.The routine care of pets that are limited to habitrails or fish tanks, for example, can be a chore that young children take responsibility of, which enhances their bond and self-esteem.
If you do have time in your schedule to live with a dog, select a breed that fits your lifestyle. If you are a runner, you may match perfectly with a breed that enjoys running as well. If you prefer short walks, consider a Dachshund, or other breed that demands less exercise. If you live in an apartment building, beware of a dog breed that vocalizes or barks, such as a Beagle or Siberian Husky. Some cats, such as the Siamese breed, can be quite chatty as well.
Cats tend to do better with long hours alone, and do not typically need nor enjoy walks. Most prefer their home and a pet-sitter or neighbor checking on them to kennels. Select a cat does well with other pets if you have others. The converse applies to those who only do well in a single cat household.
I generally recommend calm large breed dogs for families with children who might mishandle the pet and injure them.
How does the act of taking care of a pet — feeding, grooming, exercising — contribute to an individual’s sense of purpose and mental well-being?
As mentioned in the above questions, pets, regardless of whether they have fins, wings, hooves, four legs or are legless, can be a reason to get up in the morning when there might be no other reason to do so. The routine, responsibility, unconditional love, and constant companionship that comes along with life with pets foster the development of attachment relationships to pets and increase the perception of social support, while increasing physical activity, all of which decreases stress and anxiety. One study (4) showed that adults viewed pets as a form of complementary social support that provides stability, counteracts unpredictability, and supplements technology that initiates human-to-human interaction.
There is even emerging evidence that something as simple as viewing images of animals can be relaxing, as well as sharing animal stories, photos, memes, and videos, all of which function as a mechanism of distraction, enjoyment and humor.
The past 5 years have been filled with upheaval and political uncertainty. Many people have become anxious from the dramatic jolts of the news cycle. From your experience or research, what are your “Five Ways To Maximize the Mental Health Benefits of Having a Pet?”
- Don’t let politics get in the way of your mental health.
Get out and walk the dog, meet people, talk pets and not politics. Story: Emerging research suggests that positive interactions with the natural world can be a complementary therapy for people dealing with stress and trauma. This and the fact that dog lovers, who are also dog walkers, have similar interests (ie…they love dogs, and therefore they might very well, at the very least, like each other or have something in common. Thus, meeting like-minded and like-hearted dog people may help you meet others who may, or may not, align with you politically, and yet still prove to you that they are worth your time and energy. Sometimes pets introduce us to others whose lowest common denominator matches our own, and all else is forgiven. Sometimes, if you are extra lucky, you will meet someone who agrees with you on absolutely everything (but don’t expect that because that is rare.
Specific story: I have two friends who hugely differed in their political opinions, both in 2016 and 2024. They lived four houses away from each other, and after the 2016 election they stopped speaking, which is to say, they were quite close, and now are farthest from close. The situation is sad, but they are both animal lovers, and were both my friends and clients.
One day, friend A noticed friend B’s dog running rampant and dangerously on a main road not far from both of their homes. Friend A, with great effort, was able to wrangle friend B’s mud-drenched and stubborn cattle dog mix into her minivan, returned her home safely, and they decided that a politician would never again get in the way of their friendship, and, of course, the safety of their numerous pets.
So, in response to the question of how ou can maximize the health benefits of having a pet, just look to the friends, who rectified their differences, and, by default, augmented their mental health benefits with their mutual love of their pets.
2. Focus on what you love, not the news, to overcome mental obstacles to wellness.
Story: I had a client who was a widower named James. He and his Visla (pointer-like dog), Freddie, lived in a house formerly occupied by Kevin and his wife. I met Kevin after his daughter reached out to me because her father was distraught after the loss of his wife, and he refused to leave the house, even for veterinary visits for Freddie. I made the assumption that this was a few weeks or months after the loss of Kevin’s wife, but I soon learned, when I went to the home and met them both, that it had been a year since she passed away, when I went to the home and met them both. Shy Freddie greeted me, as I noted several flyers and invitations to widower support groups, which I would find two years later, still sitting on the kitchen table.
When I first arrived, however, I did not yet know that would be the case. All I knew was that James was grieving and the only source of solace and companionship in his life was his dog Freddie. He shared with me Freddie’s past illnesses, augmented by records emailed to me and my staff.
I soon came to realize that James had shut himself off from the world. Their friends were mutual friends of him and his deceased wife and, thus a constant reminder of her and what he had lost. Subsequently, he cut himself off from his entire social network of support. He was in a bind, hurting, and I felt I needed to intervene. I further discussed his schedule with Freddie, which involved hunting regularly. I learned about a local hunting group that included those with breeds that would be amenable to hunting, and soon James became a member. It turned out that the best part of the group was that he knew none of the members previously, and thus none were a reminder of his wife and the life he knew before she passed away.
In this case, a client’s relationship with his dog and the connection it afforded him with complete strangers ultimately helped maximize and illustrate the health benefits of having a pet in a poignant way.
3. Sometimes pets can help heal great personal loss in your life.
I have an aunt who was devastated when my uncle passed away after a brief illness. She and he were cat lovers, and as luck would have it, their Siamese Maribelle passed away just months before my uncle passed away. My aunt was distraught, depressed, and struggling. She said that her house was too lonely and she could not move past her grief.
I lived near her and was constantly being asked to recommend dog and cat sitters to clients. I decided she should dog and cat sit. I had the contacts and she had the need, and the time. It seemed like a match made in heaven but convincing her of that took a lot of effort. Still, she decided to try it, and, as any cat lovers and pet lovers reading this would know, she quickly bonded with her charge. Within a year she became quite popular as a pet sitter. The distraction and trips out of the home helped her process her grief.was so busy with her schedule that she was able to wean away from her home that she
4. Pets can help ease the pain of difficult life changes
Story: Barbara was a client of mine who lived in a senior living facility, where she was able to manage herself. She chose to live there because her husband Charles needed to be in an adjacent building that housed the memory-assisted unit.
She and her husband had previously lived with Chico. He was a Chihuahua mix, and Chico adored both of them. They came into my life because I was an acquaintance of their daughter. I knew that Barbara and Chico needed to live close to Charles and that Barbara could not relocate without her beloved Chico.
It became obvious that Chico was the focus she needed to help maintain her sense of mental health and well-being as she watched her husband decline. I talk often about the role I play in not only maintaining the health of the pets I treat but, as in this case, the vibrance and connection to life as many of my clients know it. In Barbara’s case, to lose Chico and Charles in short succession would have destroyed her emotionally, and her mental health would have suffered drastically.
5. Pets can be a lifeline to those struggling with mental health and addiction.
Story: I had a house call patient, a cat named Ziggy, who came into my life when he was a senior cat, suffering from a terminal illness. He had cancer, and was severely overweight, which complicated his treatment well before I became his veterinarian.
I knew his pet mom somewhat from my circles before she became a client but did not fully realize the significance of Ziggy’s role in the family dynamic until a few weeks after I was called in to euthanize Ziggy,
I did all I could to keep Ziggy with his family, without burdening him with remaining in pain to support his family. They understood this and did their best to keep him out of pain, and immediately agreed to end his suffering as soon as it became evident that he was no longer responding to pain meds and therapy dictated to us by his oncologist.
The day we planned to euthanize Ziggy, all was set up. I arrived with my assistant, and we were greeted by several more family members than we had ever met previously during our visits.
After we had all said goodbye to Ziggy, and I was preparing to wrap and prep him for the crematorium, I noticed a young adult aged son sneaking a peek through one of the doors, which meant that he had witnessed the final prep of the body. This is something to which I prefer to spare families. Many still choose to partake in this step of the process, but it is less than ideal, in my opinion, to see your beloved pet in a well-wrapped plastic bag in contrast to saying goodbye to your pet as you see and recognize them on a daily basis.
I thought no more of it until 2 weeks later, when I learned that the family’s son had died suddenly, less than 2 weeks after I had come to euthanize Ziggy.
I was devastated, thinking that his quiet sneak view of the aftercare of Ziggy played a role in his sudden and untimely death.
I approached my client, his mother, and expressed my apologies and explained that I feared him seeing us at the end with Ziggy may have played a role.
She assured me that it had no bearing on her son’s death, explaining that he had struggled with depression and drug addiction for years. She went on to say that the time spent coming together to say goodbye to Ziggy was the first time in years that the entire family united for a cause and it was a beautiful send-off. She revealed that Ziggy had been a lifeline for her troubled son, and the loss of him became a loss of a tether to life for him, that they had feared but, nonetheless, knew would eventually pose an insurmountable problem, which it did.
I felt terrible yet understood that pets can be a source of great comfort for someone struggling with mental health challenges, and that the short lifespans of pets can only be helpful for a short term, in comparison to the longer lifespans of people. I will forever be sad that I was unable to keep Ziggy alive longer than I did, and therefore possibly the client’s son. But realistically I knew that his psychological needs far exceeded what my veterinary care in extending Ziggy’s life could have provided for him.
The loss of a pet can be deeply traumatic. How can individuals navigate this grief, and how does it compare to other forms of loss in terms of mental health impact?
The bond we share with pets is unique, and is not always understood by non-pet people. This can be difficult in relationships and in the workplace, for example. If you have a critically ill pet at home or in the hospital, or need time off to care for that pet, it can jeopardize your employment. The same goes for the grieving process after the loss of a pet. It can be as severe and debilitating as the loss of a family member or close friend, if not more, as in the case of those estranged from family, who see their pet as family. Depression, addiction, and other psychological factors can prolong the grief or it can manifest in an unhealthy and potentially life-threatening way, setting back a patient in therapy or care of a psychiatric disease and in treatment with their therapist or physician.
I see pets as a source of unconditional love and support, similar in many, but not in all ways, to children. They do not speak back and they do not up and leave us and go to college or marry. They are completely dependent on us for their welfare, housing, medical needs and nutrition. This forges not just an affectionate relationship but one that places us as caretakers, with a purpose and responsibility throughout the life of that pet. Pets need us to advocate for them always. There is guilt if we cannot afford, financially or temporally, to provide them with exercise, medical treatments and diagnostics, or to make the brutal decision to humanely euthanize them if and when the time comes
Thus, the grieving process involves one additional stage of grief — in addition to the five that we are familiar with from the seminal book, On Death and Dying, by Elizabeth Kubler Ross, and that is guilt. I describe this in detail in my book. Because we are in a position as pet parents (a recent term summing up much of the emotional attachment we see between pets and their owners), there is a level of guilt usually present regardless of whether we choose to intervene and humanely euthanize a pet before a natural death or if we do not act and they pass naturally, and the client regrets not having acted on their behalf antemortem.
At times I encounter a level of grief greater than the general population of pet owners, and one that is exacerbated by mental illness, depression, or extreme expression of distress only evident at the time of the pet’s death. In those instances, I try to determine what level of grief support they are comfortable with, as I explain resources to help them digest and move on after their loss. I offer contact information for support groups that are online, where they can reach out as themselves or anonymously, phone support, or in person meetings. I also have a list of resources that are local and national. Two national websites I recommend are:
The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement (www.aplb.com), which offers chat rooms and memberships plans that vary based on needs and costs and connect clients with other families grieving, counselors, webinars, and pet portraits and memorials.
Another is the Pet Loss Support Page (http://pet-loss.net) which offers support to those considering euthanasia as well as resources to educate and support families after their pet has passed.
I explain to all that the grieving process varies with the individual, and there is no set time period for bereavement. In addition, I recommend I several books and therapists in their area as needed.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of peace to the greatest amount of people, what would that be?
I think that loneliness is a great problem and one that is growing, with people becoming isolated as the online world becomes a substitute for real life, in-person interactions. This exacerbates pre-existing physical and psychological issues in the young and old. We can be surrounded by people and yet not have connections and thus still be lonely. Ideally, enabling people who are lonely to interact with others is key, through social engagements, art, experience nature, walks, chats, book clubs, bird watching, photography, praying/reading/meditating, enjoying music with others. The list goes on and on. All of the above have varied levels of activity associated with them and provide opportunities for engagements with others.
Yet these activities may take time, travel, and money to arrange, and tend to be intermittent activities, In the interim, pets can serve as constant, nonjudgmental companions. They can provide unconditional love and serve as a responsibility to the person who lives with them, forcing them to be present and caregivers and thus reminding them that they are needed and essential for the well-being of another life. Sometimes, as I have seen countless times in my career, pets serve as a lifeline and sometimes a bridge to friendships and relationships out of the home.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them. :-)
I would love to break bread with Oprah Winfrey. She has a vast scope of influence, through her work, her humanity and her interest in helping people. She uses her fame and name to help improve the lives of those whose interests or talents inspire her, and she uses her platform to educate readers and listeners to better themselves by caring for their inner and outer selves.
Oprah utilizes her Super Soul podcasts to connect with those who can help her serve her goal to awaken, discover and connect to the deeper meaning of the world around us (her words). She has interviewed thought-leaders, best-selling authors, spiritual luminaries, as well as health and wellness experts. She aspires to be a bridge to connect these people to listeners and viewers to bring them closer to becoming their best self (also her words).
This inspires me, and although I am not world-famous, I believe that I have much to share because I have had access to people during many of their most vulnerable moments, as they have navigated life with and then without their beloved pets. It is not trivial, this relationship we have with pets, and as I have shared, those bonds are sometimes life-saving to individuals and families struggling with other challenges.
We are approaching an unsustainable way to care for pets as the price of medicine increases. Pet families are more often faced with the unenviable task of making medical decisions based on finances. I would love to bend Oprah’s ear about the bond I know she has expressed with her own pets and to pick her brain about connecting with smart, resourceful people who can affect change. We need a sustainable way to fund care for pets of those who struggle financially and whose reliance on their pets’ presence is often vital. I have some thoughts on how to fix this problem here in the United States and Oprah might just have an idea, or an acquaintance, with the ways and means to solve that problem.
Also, as I subscribe to her messages, I would love to be a contributor to her team of experts regularly, discussing what is my passion: the benefits of the human-animal bond. It has inspired me in my career, and I have insights that I could share: the ways we love our pets and why, how we spoil them, how we see pets as family or family substitutes. I have many stories worth sharing and demonstrating this bond. Pet lovers strive to be better pet parents.
My blog, Dr. Dawn the Pet Vet, and the feedback I have gotten from readers has shown me this, and motivated me to write my book. The community of pet lovers is vast, and we all love talking about our pets, and hearing stories of others who share in these joyful, unique relationships with our four-legged family members.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.
