You may love your spouse and be smitten with your grandchildren, but for many of us, there’s nothing quite like the unconditional love we receive from our family pet. And that love may be even more precious once you realize the physical and emotional health benefits derived from pet ownership.  Two newly published studies from Sweden and Canada found significant mortality differences between dog owners and non-dog owners, especially among heart attack victims and stroke survivors. Whether it’s the physical exercise from walking the dog or the companionship that keeps us from feeling lonely, the presence of a beloved pet can be a significant health booster. Another recent study out of Florida State University also found that having a pet can ease the depression and loneliness that accompanies the death of a spouse.

But as we’ve previously read in agebuzz, the responsibilities of pet ownership can be onerous as you get older. While there are now an array of services and products that can arrive at your doorstep to help with pet care as you get older, some experts believe much more can and should be done on a policy level to both acknowledge the health value of pet companionship for aging adults and to support seniors caring for pets. Recently, Dr. L.F. Carver from Queen’s University Ontario made a compelling case for why government policies need to steer resources into supporting pet ownership for seniors. She points out the emotional and physical value of pet companionship, which may in the long term keep seniors healthier (and costing less to the health care system as a result). For example, paying for air conditioning for low-income seniors may be healthier and cheaper than forcing seniors to abandon their pets during heat waves. We know most seniors are reluctant to leave their pets, either during emergencies or to go to a long term care facility. So rather than cause the trauma or health burdens that will likely result from separations, aren’t we better off supporting the desire to grow old with pets? Seems that from both a humane as well as an economic perspective, keeping pets and older people together may make the most sense.