On one of tonight's national television evening news programs, there was a story about how a case against a man convicted of abusing a young girl in his care was helped by a dog trained to instill trust and confidence in such young witnesses and plaintiffs. The furry buddy, named "Buddy," helped ease the young girl's fear of talking about the abuse in preparation for her courtroom testimony.

You've probably also read or heard about how bringing dogs or cats into a nursing home helps uplift the spirits of the residents. On the radio during my morning commute today, the weekly pet adoption feature included a discussion of how children raised with pets grow up to be more emotionally stable and responsible than other children who do not grow up with pets.

Which brings me to my questions:

If you have one, are you cognizant of how your mood changes when you do something simple like pet your furry buddy?

Do you think having a pet has made your children better people?

Abstract: THE EFFECT OF PET OWNERSHIP ON OVERALL HEALTH, MELISSA J. HUTCHINGS AND TIA R. PHILLIPS, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, Missouri Western State University