
April 11th is NATIONAL PET DAY or as I call it, Sanity Salvation Companion Day. I don’t know about you, but I survived the pandemic isolation because of my pets. Fortunately, here in Arizona, taking care of pets was one of the accepted reasons to be out and about. Every day, I awoke to reptiles in my house, providing me companionship (and looking for breakfast ? ), then off to the stables to spend time with my horses.


With all my travels cancelled, I could concentrate on my non-human family members. I took lessons, went on fabulous trail rides and got out in the fresh desert air. Social distancing is easy if you keep a horse between you and the other person. Wearing masks was also advantageous as the winds picked up and swirled the desert sand. Many of us will probably continue wearing masks when we’re out in the washes.
Since I am new to horses, I took the opportunity to study mine more closely. Sadly, I discovered that my beloved mare was seriously ill, but the pandemic allowed me time to spend with her during various treatments and then the surgery. I’m not sure her cancer would have been discovered so soon if I hadn’t been around so much more.
Pets give us someone else to think and care for, lessening the time we have to dwell on our own problems. They are great distractions and have been a lot of fun on Zoom meetings. Meetings are much more fun when a fur-or-scale-baby decides to join in. Several of my tortoises come to see who I am talking to when I’m Zooming.
Scientists have been studying and confirming the health benefits of pet companions. They increase fitness, lower stress and bring happiness into our lives. Even though we should honor our pets every day, do something special for your pets this Sunday, April 11th. I have a feeling they helped a lot of us get through this last year.
Book Note: You can see Myrtle, the Red-foot Tortoise in the photo above. Having been called “Myrtle the Turtle” one too many times, she asked me to write about the differences between turtles and tortoises. Out those differences came — in rhyme, in Don’t Call Me Turtle! Little ones love the rhymes and almost everyone learns something new. Give the gift of fun science education to your little ones today–you’ll be glad you did!
