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Sixty per cent of British pet owners claim that spending time with their pet is their favourite
way to relax, while 68 per cent agree that their pet is their best stress reliever and helps
them through rough times.
Other interesting results to come out of the survey are that 85 per cent of pet owners consider
their pet’s health to be as important as their own or their family’s, 72 per cent claim that
their pet is their best friend, 90 per cent will do whatever they can to ensure the happiness of
their pet and 90 per cent regard their pet as an important member of the family.
Commenting on the survey results, leading relationship psychologist, Susan Quilliam, commented:
‘Pets are wonderful company, contact with a pet – even a goldfish – leaves you more relaxed and
confident in yourself… Pets improve your physical and emotional well-being because contact with
a pet releases feel-good endorphins that lower the heart rate and boost the immune system. Pet
owners visit doctors less often, recover faster from illness and are less likely to be depressed.’
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