July: National Lost Pet Prevention Month

Sales professional Jennifer Heiner serves as a retail director of a New Jersey-based running company that markets a line of running apparel. Jennifer Heiner is an animal lover and an owner of an English bulldog.

  Dogs offer their owners entertainment, companionship, and love. Scientific studies have added that owning and spending time with a dog boost physical and emotional health. Here are a few of these scientific findings: 1. Dogs make their owners feel happier. A 2009 Japanese study found that by merely staring into a dog’s eyes, people can increase their level of oxytocin. Oxytocin is the “love hormone” that makes people feel happy and satisfied. A 2019 Australian study concluded that dog owners experience reduced levels of loneliness. This information is supported by a survey from the Human-Animal Bond Research Institute in which 85 percent of the respondents said that canine ownership reduces their loneliness. 2. Dogs encourage physical exercise. A study led by British scientists in 2019 discovered that dog owners are four times more likely to achieve their physical activity requirements than people who do not own dogs. The study said that dog owners walk with their dogs nearly 300 minutes per week, 200 minutes more than people who do not own dogs. 3. Dog owners have healthier hearts. A review of scientific studies conducted between 1950 and 2019 revealed that dogs help their owners respond positively to stress, one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease. A common observation in the studies was that the bond between humans and dogs results in longer life and a lower risk of death from coronary events.

While dogs do a lot for us, we need to protect them as well. July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month, and there is a great website that is dedicated all to this topic. 

NATIONAL LOST PET PREVENTION MONTH -July 2022 - National Today

Even the local news station had a segment on tips and tricks if and when a pet goes missing: 

July is National Lost Pet Prevention Month – NBC New York

It is important to not give up the search too early - call local police departments, animal hospitals, and animal shelters, and KEEP CALLING THEM to get the word out and to continuously check back in to ensure your pet has or hasn't been dropped off or turned in to one of them. Hard copy fliers in the area, as well on social media are critical to getting the word out as well. There are companies who also track and trap pets if there have been sightings of them in the neighborhood - they are specially trained to effectively capture the pet without scaring them off, hurting them, etc. 

Always keep your pet secure on a leash when outside, or in a fenced in area, and never leave your pet unattended.