Do we need animals?

Yes. I'm very passionate about this because I think animals are so beneficial to us.

-Much needed for companionship
-Can be utilized as tools for therapy
-They aide in teaching the young very big lessons on responsibility and the importance of having compassion for other life by establishing a bond that is different from another human
-Long distance travel by horse was often critical during wars, and they still serve a purpose for travel today
-Animals are so intelligent and can be expertly trained to serve those living with conditions & disabilities - diabetes, epilepsy, blind, anxiety, autism, mobility.. the list goes on. They give a person the ability to be more independent in their daily lives because trained animals can be relied upon.
-Police K-9's and all of the amazing and much needed work that they do...

A story I have to share is from when I worked in a nursing home. We'd have a pet therapy group come in once a month. There were some residents that were paralyzed from strokes, some at the end of their lives, and no matter what you said or did you would never see them engage in anything until those dogs showed up. Even though some couldn't move their arms to be able to pet the dogs, just having the animal placed on their laps, it was spectacular to see their entire faces just light up. You could feel the positive energy radiating, because in those moments none of the pain of what they were going through mattered, they focused everything into the moment that was filling them with joy. To be able to engage when they thought they lost the ability to. Definitely helped raise spirits in times of need.