Horror of horrors, in this day of modernization and education... these r still some of the comments / suggestions given by people in relation to an animal's welfare :

• "What's the fuss - it's only an animal"  (by a member of a political party) on the outrage of the public against a kitten torturer and killer.
• "Can't u just open the door and let it run away - problem solved!" on my plea for a good home to re-locate my fren's dogs
• "If it was between me & the dog, I'd rather save myself" on my plea for help from a fren to rescue some tied up dogs
• "You animal lover! *snigger*" whenever I bring up the issue of animal abuse
• Doctors here are quick to blame a child's rash and other ailments on pet fur or just because there's a pet around. So parents don't think twice of getting rid of their 'beloved' pets to 'protect' their precious child. People shower love & attention on their pets only until they become pregnant. Then, off goes the pet to just anyone who will have it. One such person I know recently took in a stray cat & lovingly fed & took care of it, until the doc suggested that her kid's cough may be because of cat fur. Then she just suddenly pushed the cat out of her apartment and locked the door. The poor kitten was crying, not knowing why she was casted out.

..... and many such stories

I feel SORRY for those who do not know how to appreciate other beings besides themselves & their own family. I have been accused of "animal lover!", "dreamer", "unrealistic", "she's like that, always against the grain "...

A fellow blogger sent me this link to her site. Thanks, Roxanne for sharing!

BENEFITS OF ANIMAL THERAPY
http://www.nursingschools.net/blog/2011/04/the-incredible-benefits-of-animal-therapy/

But there is one piece of info which goes against the common believe of our people here :

"Simply owning a pet also offers up a couple of medical perks, even with animals without any kind of specialized training. Cats, for example, may help children with asthma improve their respiratory functions and lower cholesterol levels (and subsequently reduce the risk of a heart attack) — among other things."

According to :  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1209204.stm

".....They found that some children developed a tolerance, protecting them against cat allergies, because of a particular type of antibody they developed. The research, published in The Lancet, found some children who had been exposed to cat allergens can develop an immunity to asthma.

But the finding does not apply to everyone. .....

......Professor Thomas Platts-Mills, who led the research carried out at the University of Virginia Asthma and Allergic Disease Center, told BBC News Online that children were just as likely to have immunity to cats as to be allergic to them.
And he said this particular type of immunity developed when children had a significant amount of exposure to cats. "If the child goes away to college and has less exposure, they may become allergic again.

"We think children are more likely to become allergic if everyone else has got cats and they have not."

He said children who were allergic to cats are more likely to develop asthma, while those who had this particular immune response were not. "


Hope people will change their mindset...
We are not the only ones on this planet !