By Jessica Arroyo
Like many parents, my husband and I spend most days working and getting our children from point A to point B – multiple times a day, every day. We’re busy, to say the least! Well, about 15 months ago my family and I decided to add another member. In January 2021, Lola – a brown chocolate lab – joined our family as a small puppy. The amount of love and happiness she brought from day one was incredible. My husband and I had grown up with dogs around, but not at this capacity. Then that April, one year ago this month, we welcomed our second puppy – a tiny Pomeranian/bichon mix we named Chewy. Once again my heart grew so much more. However – with these two additions to the family – our days became that much busier!
While keeping our home organized and on track like before, we now also needed to make sure our fur babies had proper training and got on board with our schedule. We also had to carve out time in our day to give our doggies their needed physical activity. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but – just like with raising children – it’s such a joy watching our pets grow up and showcase their own personalities.
I know Lola and Chewy make me smile every day and just make me so happy – but pets bring even more to us. As stated in this Next Avenue article, “research shows that pet owners (primarily of dogs and cats) can decrease their risk of coronary heart disease, the most common cause of death of men and women 60 years and older.” Also in this article: “American Heart Association studies have shown that pet owners have lower blood pressure and smaller increases in heart rate and blood pressure in response to stress, lower resting baseline heart rates and blood pressure, significantly smaller increases in heart rate and blood pressure in response to stress, and faster recovery from stress.” So in a nutshell, my fur babies make my heart happy AND healthy!
Overall my little Lola and Chewy bring us way more benefits than expected – and I can’t imagine our lives without them. My husband and I are looking forward to seeing them grow up alongside our two kiddos. They may make our lives a bit more busy, but they truly make our lives – and our family – whole.
Jessica Arroyo – Wenatchee, WA – Jessica Arroyo is a community liaison for Health Alliance NorthwestTM, serving Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan counties in Washington. Born and raised in the Wenatchee Valley. During her time off she enjoys spending time with her husband and her two very busy kids.
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