Vets walking pets: Strolls with shelter dogs may reduce PTSD symptoms in military veterans

(Florida Atlantic University) About 6 to 8 million dogs end up in shelters in the U.S. each year. Researchers worked with two no-kill shelters on a study examining the effects of walking with a shelter dog on psychological and physiological stress indicators in military veterans. Results confirm the importance of the human-animal bond and provide evidence that walking with a shelter dog may affect psychological and physiological stress indicators in veterans - with particular potential benefits for those with an increase in PTSD symptom severity.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news