JOPLIN, Mo. – It is National Dog Day and Joplin resident, Lynn Simmons, doesn’t know what she would do without her dogs by her side.
“They’re my little buddies, they’re my sidekicks and you know it’s always somebody happy to see me when I get home every day. And they’re always happy, it doesn’t matter if I’ve been gone five minutes or fifteen hours, they’re always happy to see me and it just makes me smile, it makes my heart happy.”
Simmons trains her dogs on a weekly basis, and also enters them in dog shows for obedience.
“I do a lot with my dogs, they’re a huge part of my life and when I’m doing something not dog related…it kind of seems weird.”
Not only does Simmons take her dogs training and walking regularly, but they take her on walks too, giving her more exercise compared to what she would get if she didn’t have a dog.
“It’s good for me, it’s good for them, you know it just contributes to your overall well-being I think”
A recent study was published in the Mayo Clinic Proceeding’s, that found that dog owners were more likely to exercise than those who don’t own a dog, as well as have a healthy diet and good blood glucose levels. The study stated that dogs are good for your heart.
“It takes us out of our stress for just a short period, as we start moving with the dog, getting that exercise, it changes how our body chemistry responds and it’s a win-win for both” said Ann Leach, a local lifestyle coach and Coordinator of ‘Snowflakes Snack Shake’, which is a free pet food pantry.
Leach believes that the study is absolutely correct and that animals do help people physically but also mentally.
“Just a simple act of petting a dog, petting a cat, it has been known that repetitive movement of the petting has been known to lower blood pressure, and they can actually see that in the medical community.”
Simmons says she will be adding a third dog to her family soon.
“They just add to your life and I honestly can’t imagine what life would be like without my dogs.”
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