Journalist and author Sy Montgomery called in to the Boston Public Radio studios on Tuesday to discuss a recent report from Toronto researchers linking dog ownership to a longer lifespan.
"This latest study is really a review of 10 other studies,” Montgomery said, noting the significance of the report's 3.8 million data points. The research found that dog owners had, on average, a 65% lower likelihood of dying after a heart attack, and a 24% lower likelihood of dying in general.
Montgomery went on to discuss similar findings in other reports. “[Having dogs] makes your kid less likely to have diabetes. ... Dog owners have less anxiety, dog owners lose weight — it’s just unbelievable."
"Obviously, those with dogs never die!” she joked.
When asked whether the study mentions the impact of cat ownership on person’s lifespan, Montgomery said the results were inconclusive, but offered one possible reason why dog ownership correlates more closely to good health.
"One reason," she said, "is the characteristics of dog owners."
"It’s more common for a person who owns a dog to be married than a person who owns a cat,” she said. "And being married, typically, you have better health — someone’s looking after you, so when you keel over ... they notice.”
Sy Montgomery is journalist, naturalist and monthly BPR contributor. Her latest book, “The Magnificent Migration,” is available now.
