It’s claimed the dog is ‘man’s best friend’, and new research at the Charles Perkins Centre in Sydney is putting it to the test.
The centre is using dogs and other pets in recuperation and rehabilitation therapy of the elderly, people with mental illness, and people with disability. Researchers will test the belief that dog companionship is good for human health.
While the RSCPA claims a variety of benefits flow from pet ownership, ‘animal treatment’ is an area of research still evolving. Those set to potentially benefit from the research have welcomed the Charles Perkins Centre initiative, and hope it will definitively prove the dog is truly man’s best friend.