Thursday 16 May 2019 | 8

A dog as an object cannot be good for the heart

A dog as an object cannot be good for the heart

Mis à jour le 07 February 2020

A scientific study published in 2017 explains the health benefits of living with a dog companion 1. Today it is exploited in a campaign by the French Federation of Cardiology which communicates on the medical and social "assets" of these domestic companions. Presented as perfect drugs, dogs would allow seniors to reduce their risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease by 36%.

Hr blog

To add a note of humour to these findings, the French Cardiology Federation sees fit to emphasize that these 4-legged health remedies are "fearful, smell strong, snore, bark all the time, drool, lose their hair, have gas ", And other compliments ... Hmm, what kind of respect for these beings is this" who fortunately can save your life "! How can we imagine that a dog is but a mere object, despised to this point and that it could bring any help to a person who would need it thus ?

Dogs are our millennial companions! Their sensitivity is no longer needed to be proven, nor is their degree of evolution. We have shaped them to embellish our existence. This campaign, full of arrogance and derision, gives them a representation that demeans and distorts them. Where then is the respect for these animals and for the millions of humans who love and rely on them?

We, defend dogs against the cruelties of which they are victims. We also offer conferences to get to know them better and to live with them on a daily basis. And we know that if their presence in a home can be good for the heart, it is precisely because this life that they share with us is based on a loving relationship. This unconditional love that dogs teach us and offer us, this benevolence, this indulgence, this absolute fidelity, and all these little moments of happiness that humans come to know having had the chance to meet them.

It is no coincidence that the lectures that we have given in many cities were entitled: In the "heart" of a dog. These companions with an immense heart pursue only one goal: to be there for us, without reserve and forever. This is how they make us deeply happy, that they give us confidence and the desire to reach out to others. This is how they protect our heart, in every sense of the word.

If the French Cardiology Federation has laudable intentions, its campaign clearly misses out on what makes the essence of a relationship worthy of the name, a companion dog. Moreover, people who would be tempted to adopt an animal object solely for their health, are likely to lie about the results of this study ...

1 Mubanga M et al. "Cardiovascular accident and death risks for dog owners - a national cohort study". Sci Rep 2017; 7: 15821

Hr blog
#Compagnonnage
Share on

In the subject

Banned for thirty years, leghold traps have found a new victim: Cooper.
Open letter to Fabien Di Filippo regarding the fate of dogs neglected by the management at Arche de Bouba

Comments 8

I accept that publication of my comments is subject to the code of conduct.

To learn more about the processing of your personal data see the details on this page.

Sylvie | Sunday 19 May 2019

Je partage votre avis le chien n'est pas un "médicament".
Ce qui me dérange également c'est que des seniors pourraient acheter des chiots au lieu d'adopter des chiens adultes voire en rapport avec leur âge, quand on a 70 ans je trouve délirant et égoïste d'adopter un chiot ou un jeune chien qui risque de devenir orphelin et finit au mieux à la SPA.

Isabelle | Sunday 19 May 2019

C'est représentatif de "l'humour" actuel !!!
De toute façon, on ne "prend" pas un chien ! On partage sa vie avec lui.
Par contre, si certains se décident à partager leur vie avec un compagnon à 4 pattes, les personnes qui s'occupent des refuges seront heureux de leur expliquer tout cela... Aller chercher un compagnon dans un refuge, c'est très bon pour le cœur !

Sly | Thursday 16 May 2019

Ce n'est pas tant l'humour (discutable certes, mais c'est de l'humour) présent dans cette publicité qui m'a gêné, mais c'est ce dont vous parlez à la toute fin de votre article. Cette campagne de pub pousse à acheter un chien comme on achèterait un brumisateur quand on a chaud. Le chien est ici un simple objet. Cette pub est très très maladroite...

Karine et Philippe | Thursday 16 May 2019

Les animaux sont des êtres vivants dotés de sensibilité. Ils sont les compagnons les plus fidèles. Leur instinct peut sauver des vies, nous pouvons le constater chaque jour. Mais il faudrait également que la médecine en ait conscience, car nous ne pouvons que louer leurs bienfaits sur la santé (pour les personnes dans certains EHPAD), pour les personnes souffrant de troubles cardiaques, de troubles psychologiques, etc... Considérons-les et respectons-les à leur juste valeur.