Pets keeping your heart healthy

THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR HEALTH IS SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR PETS? YOU DON’T HAVE TO ASK ME TWICE. RIGHT. AND NOW COULD BE THE PERFECT TIME TO FIND A FOREVER FRIEND. AS PALM BEACH ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL SEEKS SOME PEOPLE TO ADOPT THEIR WONDERFUL ANIMALS. JOINING ME NOW IS DOCTOR FONTAINE TIMMER, RIGHT THERE AT THE END. AND FROM THE LOCAL, FROM THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AND THEN PALM BEACH COUNTY ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROLS ILEANA ARIAS WITH THE DOG. WE HAVE UP FOR ADOPTION. THEY SAID, THIS IS GEMINI, THIS IS GEMINI. GEMINI. WE’RE GOING TO TALK MORE ABOUT GEMINI IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES. A LOT OF PETS, DOCTOR. YES. UM, OUT THERE. AND WE LOVE TO SAY HELLO TO THEM WHEN WE COME HOME FROM WORK. THEY’RE ALWAYS EXCITED TO SEE US. WHY IS THAT SO GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH? OUR HEART HEALTH? YES. UM. THANK YOU FOR ASKING. THERE’S A LOT OF HEALTH BENEFITS FROM HAVING A PET. UM, SUCH AS, UM, EXERCISE AND WALKING. AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION ACTUALLY RECOMMENDS AN HOUR. 2 HOURS TO 2 HOURS AND A HALF OF EXERCISE A WEEK. AND IF YOU HAVE A DOG THAT’S ACTIVE, YOU’RE WALKING AROUND WITH THEM, YOU’RE PLAYING WITH THEM. THAT’S GREAT HEALTH BENEFITS FOR THEM. IT ACTUALLY HELPS TO DECREASE BLOOD PRESSURE, UM, BY WALKING YOUR DOG AND THERE’S SO MANY HEALTH BENEFITS, I WOULD SAY ALSO JUST THE MOOD, RIGHT. IT SAYS ON THEIR MOOD STRESS JUST SIMPLY, YOU KNOW, THE STRESSES OF THE DAY CAN KIND OF SUBSIDE WHEN YOU SIT ON THE COUCH WITH YOUR DOG OR YOUR CAT AND JUST CAN RELAX. YES. JUST EVEN PETTING A DOG OR BEING AROUND A PET COULD ACTUALLY LOWER THE STRESS HORMONES IN AN INDIVIDUAL. WHICH OF COURSE HELP AND GIVES THEM HEALTH BENEFITS FROM DECREASING THE RISK OF HEART ATTACKS, STROKES, AND TO LOWER THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE. SO KIND OF AN UNLIKELY PARTNERSHIP, BUT I LIKE IT. SO WITH ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL, YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT OF ANIMALS TO ADOPT. WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW? TELL US ABOUT GEMINI. SO GEMINI IS SIX YEARS OLD AND SHE WEIGHS ABOUT 51 POUNDS. NO, SHE’S BEEN IN OUR SHELTER FOR 68 DAYS NOW. OKAY. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT DOGS AND CATS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION. AND WHAT WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW IS RIGHT NOW IS A PERFECT TIME TO ADOPT A DOG OR A CAT. AND IF THEIR FAMILY IS LOOKING TO HAVE A NEW PET IN THE FAMILY, THEY SHOULD STOP AT OUR SHELTER FIRST. AND SO YOU’RE AT CAPACITY RIGHT NOW. SO THERE’S REALLY A PUSH RIGHT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE ANIMALS FIND A HOME. THERE IS, THERE IS. WE ARE, UM, ALL OF OUR ADOPTABLES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR FOSTER. OKAY. AND WE HAVE A PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS THAT THEY CAN EARN 150 COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS FOR FOSTERING A DOG FOR 30 DAYS. WHAT A GREAT WAY TO TEACH RESPONSIBILITY OUT THERE. THAT IS FOR SURE. YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING YOU MENTIONED TO THE PEOPLE WHO COME TO THE SHELTER, SAY, LISTEN, IT’S GOOD FOR YOU TOO. IT’S NOT JUST GOOD TO TO TAKE THE DOG, BUT IT’S ALSO GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. WE KNOW THAT HAVING A PET, HAVING A DOG SPECIFICALLY INCREASES THE CHANCES OF PEOPLE GETTING OUTSIDE AND WALKING, AND THEN HAVING A CAT, IT’S IT’S IT MAKES US FEEL GOOD INSIDE. SO WE ABSOLUTELY SHARE THAT WITH OUR COMMUNITY. WELL, THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE HEART HEALTH AND HOW IT IS SO GOOD FOR YOU, PUT A LINK TO THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION’S WEBSITE AS WELL. AND THEN ALSO IF YOU’D LIKE TO ADOPT GEMINI OR LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PETS THAT ARE UP FOR ADOPTION, WE’VE PUT