Pet Project: How pets can help their owners recover from trauma
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The powerful bond between humans and their pets bond was on display this week as footage showed former hostages held by Hamas being reunited with their dogs.
In particular, a scene of three Israeli children seeing their dog Rodney for the first time after being captured "probably brought tears to a lot of eyes," said Pennsylvania SPCA advocate Carol Erickson. Other videos showed how excited dogs were to see their humans again after spending weeks apart.
Pets are going to be an important part of recovery for many of the hostages because cats and dogs are proven to help reduce stress and anxiety, Erickson added.
Dogs and cats provide unconditional love that benefits mental health and offers true friendship, Erickson said. Cultivating a positive relationship with pets benefits people in good times, of course, but it can be an especially valuable source of peace and healing in bad times, she added.
But that relationship takes work. "When you teach children to be respectful to their animals, they'll be respectful back," Erickson said.
You can watch the full interview with Erickson in the video player above.
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- More from CBS Pet Project: The unique bond between dogs and humans
