Maybe you know someone who doesn\u2019t have family around, or who\u2019s recently gone through a break-up. Maybe they just lost a job, or even lost a loved one. Whoever they are, they\u2019d probably love the company of a furry, affectionate goofball like yours this season. Here\u2019s how to make it happen.<\/p>\n
THE DOCTOR IS IN<\/strong><\/p>\n Invite stressed out, worn-down friends over for a little pet detox. Giving them a chance to share a walk with your pup or play with your kitty isn\u2019t just fun\u00a0\u2014\u00a0it can leave them feeling physically better. That\u2019s because hanging out with pets not only lowers blood pressure and stress hormones but also releases relaxation hormones.<\/p>\n BRING THE PARTY WHERE IT\u2019S NEEDED<\/strong><\/p>\n A quiet house can get pretty lonely this time of year. But for many elderly folks or those suffering from depression, getting out isn\u2019t that easy. Ask if they might enjoy a furry visitor. Pets are great at drawing people out of their shells when human interaction just seems like too much work.<\/p>\n KID AROUND<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s practically a clich\u00e9 that every boy or girl wants a pet. And for one going through a rough time like a divorce, it can mean everything. Reach out to friends whose kids can\u2019t currently have a dog or cat of their own and schedule a playdate.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n TAKE THE SHOW ON THE ROAD<\/strong><\/p>\n Once you and your pet start spreading the love, you might not want to stop. Why not consider getting your pet certified to be a therapy dog? After you\u2019ve both gone through the training, you\u2019ll be qualified to visit a wide range of places, like schools, nursing homes and hospitals.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Maybe you know someone who doesn\u2019t have family around, or who\u2019s recently gone through a break-up. Maybe they just lost a job, or even lost a loved one. Whoever they are, they\u2019d probably love…<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":59,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[10],"class_list":["post-60","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pet-parenting","tag-holiday"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":209,"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60\/revisions\/209"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/59"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.chuckanddons.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}