Do you think – if you are an ‘animal person’ – that having pets, such as a dog, can actually improve your mental health?

Question: Do you think - if you are an 'animal person' - that having pets, such as a dog, can actually improve your mental health?
- Keywords:
  animal person,
  dog,
  health,
  improve,
  mental health,
  pets
Asked by anon-179124 to Maria, John on 18 Jun 2018.
- John Atkinson answered on 18 Jun 2018:
  
  Hi Guam,
  There is good evidence to prove that having pets can improve mental health, particularly dogs. At our hospital we have a little Jack Russell who lives on one of the wards. She is really sociable and the patients love petting her and taking her for walks.
- Maria Montefinese answered on 18 Jun 2018:
  
  Hi Guam! 🙂 There is the so-called pet therapy used to help people with mental health and other kind of problems. Its effects on the people’s health have been proved, so I think that they can actually contribute to the improvement of the people’s health!
  All the best,
  Maria

Question: Do you think - if you are an 'animal person' - that having pets, such as a dog, can actually improve your mental health?