PAW (Pet Appreciation Week) was created by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1981 for two primary purposes:

To create awareness of the importance of our pets in our lives.

To appreciate our pets for everything they do to enrich our lives.

According to harvardmagazine.com there are many ways having pets makes people healthier.

Exercise: Research has found that those who own dogs are more likely to achieve 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week—the medically recommended guideline.

Social connection: Anyone who owns a dog, and walks that dog, knows it is an invitation for conversation.

Stress resiliency: Petting, playing with, or even just maintaining eye contact with pets, releases oxytocin in the brain, which in turn lowers stress levels in the body.

Sleep: The regular exercise of walking a dog, riding a horse, or playing with pets improves quality of sleep.

Mental health: Lifestyle medicine guidelines recommend that people spend 120 minutes in nature each week to lower blood pressure and stress levels—which can often be achieved while playing with, tending to, or walking a pet.

Nutrition: When you feed your pet, it’s usually on a schedule. It turns out, it’s good for us to be on an [eating] schedule, too, because it helps us plan what we want to eat helps us make healthier choices.

ACTION: CLICK HERE to email livewell@engleonline.com a picture of your pet(s) or (if you don’t have a pet) a picture of your dream pet.

The deadline to complete is Friday, June 30. 

What is the monthly punch card? Each month you will have a task to complete. Complete six months and you will be marked as completing an a la carte program. Complete nine months and you will be entered in a drawing to win $25. The Wellbeing year runs from October through September.