From the moment you meet a rambunctious puppy with wide curious eyes until the agonizing goodbye we inevitably share with them, they touch us in ways few humans can. There is unique quality to a human-pet relationship. One that is hard to describe.

During the final moments lying on the veterinarian floor with my own dog on her way out, I was overcome with emotion. This was expected. What I wasn’t prepared for was my vocal reaction. As the stoic vet injected the concoction that would slow her heart and deliver her back into the greater fabric of the universe, I sobbed deeply and simply told her over and over and over, “thank you.” I felt heartbroken, of course, but it was an overwhelming wave of gratitude that mostly washed over me as I watched my literal best friend turn to just another collection of cells and bones and skin and fur.

Other than having her back, I would not change a thing. It was peaceful, and I said exactly what I wanted to say, even if I never saw it coming.

Like a child, if we provide pets with love, support, and discipline they will change our lives for the better. Pretty much everybody agrees, too…a rare thing in these divisive times. Polls conducted in America in 2023 show a massive 86 percent of those with pets (primarily dogs and cats) claim a “mostly positive impact.”

Time Magazine reports that a 2015 Harris poll said 95% of owners “think of their animal as a member of the family,” but pets are not only loving partners; they’re healthy for you. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports “interacting with animals has been shown to decrease levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure.” Other studies have shown “animals can reduce loneliness, increase feelings of social support, and boost your mood.” Keep in mind, they say animals, not pets. Even a visit to the wildlife sanctuary or a responsible zoo lifts moods and can pull a smile out of the surliest curmudgeon.

Humans who don’t have pets in the household can even benefit from a few furry cuddles. Pet therapists bring all manners of animals into retirement communities and health facilities for residents to hold and interact with. The result? Studies show a short amount of time spent weekly with a pet can reduce boredom, increase movement, and generally make everyone happier.

Having a pet around the house can be lifesaving as research suggests dogs can detect some types of cancers, but how? The Big C leaves specific traces and odor signatures in the body and within bodily fluids. The University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School has experimented with dogs who have detected breast and lung cancer by merely sniffing the breath of patients. It’s a doggone miracle.

Pretty much any animal can help humans; a study inGerontology showed caring for insects can even help with mental health. Simply brushing and grooming a horse can reduce PTSD in children. Dining in the proximity of an aquarium filled with fish helps patients with Alzheimer’s. Autistic kids with Guinea pigs become more social, laugh more, and interact with their classmates more easily. Indeed, caring for any other living creature—from a cricket to your own gam gam—can be good for your health. We are meant to care for others, however many legs, wings, or beaks they have.

Perhaps the simplest way these animals help is in the movement they provide, not just in our lonely hearts but in our tired bodies. Most dogs need to walk daily. Most cats roam solo and free. Either way, pets need exercise. You know who else does? You. The regular movement which happens to maintain a pet’s health makes even the most sedentary human a little bit better.

And isn’t that the magic? This frantic, fuzzy, tail-wagging, back-arching, skin-licking ritual of excitement meant to elevate both human and animal, magnetically pulling both out into the wild outside. Together—moving—experiencing life like only two friends unleashed in the world can. And one day, when it all ends—because it always ends—we won’t remember the sadness as well as we’ll recall the good, small, pure moments spent between life’s larger challenges, as made real by those who follow us from room to room if only to catch a small bit of love from their human.

Pleio believes human connections are critical to a person’s emotional, mental, and physical health. For a lot of us, our pets are our family – our fur babies. So, when you’re look over at your Fido and he glares back at you with nothing but love in his little beady eyes – remember to be human to your fur baby.