Having a pet may improve a person's health

Pets can take care of people, too. They stimulate talk, provide touch, ease loneliness, and facilitate social interaction with others.

Pets may boost health by:

*Encouraging physical activity. An insistent dog whining at the door or a playful one eager for a romp can get you out of the house for some exercise.

*Speeding rehab. Perhaps by easing stress, pets help patients recover faster from heart attacks, strokes and surgery.

*Soothing Alzheimer's patients. Nursing homes often have pets visit because good memories can surface when residents touch the animals.

*Preventing allergies. Children who grow up around pets appear less prone to allergies, perhaps because early exposure to bacteria and viruses associated with pets may strengthen the kids' immunity.

*Boosting the heart. A study of 420 people with heart disease found that those with pets, especially dogs, lived longer than those without pets.

*Easing autism. Dogs may help children with autism by providing an outlet for social interaction. Dogs may promote social interaction in children with autism. And trained dogs can act as watchdogs, protecting the child.