E06 | Health Investigation | Animals That Heal Us

With 8 million dogs and 14 million cats, the French hold the world record for pet ownership. Whilst these four-legged companions soothe and stimulate us, they actually do much more than that: they heal us! And this has been scientifically proven. Having a pet at home has numerous benefits for our physical and mental well-being. Better cardiovascular health, a stronger immune system and gut microbiota, and the release of oxytocin – the ‘happiness hormone’… There are countless studies demonstrating the physical, psychological and emotional benefits of this bond between humans and animals. For the past forty years or so, animal-assisted therapy has been growing in popularity in France. Dogs, cats, horses and certain farm animals now work alongside therapists to offer a new approach to care. In care homes, dogs help to rekindle the desire to communicate in elderly people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. For children with psychomotor disabilities, horses facilitate functional rehabilitation. Animals also possess extraordinary abilities that science is harnessing to advance medicine. Thanks to their exceptional sense of smell, dogs are now able to detect cancer or alert their owners to an impending epileptic seizure.