Play all audios:
They brought me back to look at the available dogs. A 3-month-old, 4-inch-tall mouse of a dog walked up to me and looked me straight in the eyes. I took one look and said, "That's
my dog!" Everyone laughed: I'm 6-7, and this dog could have fit inside my shoe. I didn't care; Finn picked me, and I fell in love with him. Throughout my year-long illness, my
new pug-dachshund-terrier-Chihuahua was my doctor, my nurse and my companion. He was also my empathy: He knew exactly how I felt, what I needed in the moment, what was best for me. When I
felt nauseous and weak, he would put his head under my chin, and we would both go to sleep. When I felt better, he would play with me. Now that I've recovered, we go horseback riding
together. Finn's too small to walk beside the horses, so I put him in my saddlebag. Finny sits in the bag with his head poking out; it looks like I'm riding around with a squirrel.
—adapted with permission from_ Dog as My Doctor, Cat as My Nurse: An Animal Lover's Guide to a Healthy, Happy, and Extraordinary Life_ by Carlyn Montes De Oca PRO: A pet can perk you
up. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pets can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and feelings of loneliness. A study from the
University of Missouri even found that older people are likelier to take regular walks when their walking partner is a dog. CON: Certain pets are simply the wrong choice for your lifestyle.
"My grandfather got a cockapoo puppy at 72," says Brandi Hunter of the AKC, "and that suited him just fine. But if you're training for a marathon, you might want a
collie." To avoid a mismatch, Montes De Oca advises, do a lifestyle assessment before you adopt a pet: "Are you a dynamo, or is yoga more your style? The answer will tell you what
breed to favor." And if you have any mobility issues, suggests Barbara Moffet of the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, Va., "you might consider getting a cat, a rabbit or a
guinea pig, instead of a dog." PRO: Once you've rationally, objectively weighed the benefits and deficits of pet ownership, be prepared for surprises: What if an animal chooses
you? Come to think of it, this phase of life may be the ideal time to let our emotions reign. As Klein puts it, "When I got my first dog in the 1960s, its food was 'chow,' and
pets were considered livestock. But we now know that they are members of our family."