Pets

Hi, My daughter has currently been diagnosed with ASD & ADHD, We have a dog, 2 cats & 2 Chinchilla's. Our family dog has become my daughter's best friend. She won't go to sleep without him in her bedroom. He is a staffy and they have grown up together. I would recommend a dog as they are so loyal. Hope this helps x  

Thank seeds you for seeds2 help!

Beautiful dog. 

I used to have a tortoise called Fred or Freddie coger lol he was vicious when over heated. He belonged to an elderly couple that I called aunty Doreen and uncle Joe. Friends of my grandparents sadly uncle Joe passed away and aunty Doreen had to move to sheltered accommodation couldn’t take Fred so my mum took him on they believed he was 40 but could have been older. Then my mum died so I took him on sadly he died not sure of the cause but I believe he was 60-80 years old so he had a good life.

I have two dogs (both rescues) my 1st is Herbert, he's a staffy cross and was scared of everything as he'd not had the best start in life. My other is Harper who is a Lurcher, she is Herbs emotional support animal.

They are a constant and give affection and love for very little return. They give me a reason to get up and going.

On the flip side, they are a massive commitment and come with costs and constraints.

Pets come in all shapes and sizes, I always want a tortoise.

Hi I have a beautiful Dalmatian called Lucy and I absolutely love her. When I’m upset or anxious I love to have her on my lap or just sitting next to me and I feel better. I would recommend getting a pet 

I found getting a dog extremely helpful. I suffer from depression and anxiety and at first I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not. I didn't want to end up neglecting my pet and giving up on it. I often suffer from little motivation and was worried I would be the same with my dog. 

My GP and med team all agreed a dog would benefit me both mentally and physically so I went ahead with it and I'm so glad I did. 

My dog is called Hannah. Here she is. 

She's made a huge difference to my life! I don't suffer loneliness as much anymore because I have her and can talk to her. I feel a connection which I don't get with people. I've always bonded better with animals than people though. 

Hannah helps me with my anxiety as well. I can go out with her and I don't feel nearly as terrified as I used to and I no longer get panic attacks, before I got her I used to get panic attacks every time I went out. 

I lost a close family member and was really struggling but since getting my dog I'm feeling much better, both physically and mentally.

Hannah has given me friendship and a purpose. I can't imagine life without her.

Hi

I can't speak from a "considering getting a pet" perspective as I've had pets all my life. I have one dog at the moment. He gets me out of the house (he needs walking a couple of times a day) and because we're out walking that means we see and interact with other dogs and their owners (we mostly interact with the dogs not the owners) My dog doesn't judge me. He sometimes sits with me and I find his company calming and enjoyable. 

I would say he mostly satisfies my need for connection but I do still feel lonely and would like to have a human best friend (after my husband died I managed to find a friend who supported me in many ways, but she also died 2 years ago) I miss having a friend. My dog goes a long way towards staving off my loneliness but if you've not had a pet before it can be difficult because you need to think about meeting their needs as well as them meeting yours

Inula