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Pets are an intrinsic part of many children’s lives and the child
who learns to properly care for an animal will gain a valuable
lesson in kindness and respect for living things.
HEALTH
takes
a closer look.
ADOPT A
PET
FOR OPTIMAL
WELLBEING
When a family
decides they
want to add
an additional
member to their
unit in the form
of a pet, there
can be a myriad
of benefits for
the family, tells
counseling
psychologist
Madeeha
Afridi. “In my
clinical work as
a counseling
psychologist
with children
and adolescents,
families have
reported the
benefits of
having a pet
range from their
children learning
nurturing skills,
gaining a sense
of responsibility,
greater family
harmony, as well
as a companion
to lift their mood,”
she says.
68
May/June 2015