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" Do you share a home with a cat? A dog? A lizard? A talking parrot? My golden retriever is chewing on my son&amp;#x27;s plastic toy for the fifth time today, and I&amp;#x27;m really irked. But, even despite the (frequent) annoyances, I think I&amp;#x27;m healthier because she&amp;#x27;s in my life. How do you feel about pets and happiness?**** Past research has shown that pets can improve your mood and even relieve depression in elderly populations, but some beg to differ. According to the Pew Research Center, pets have little effect on happiness. Their research shows that pet owners and non-pet owners report similar happiness levels. For the record, my golden retriever is 7 years old, and her name is Paisley. She&amp;#x27;s a total rascal, but makes us all laugh with her antics. (Do you have a dog? Here&amp;#x27;s the gross reason why you might rethinking giving Fido a smooch.) So I&amp;#x27;m curious, do you have a pet? And do you feel that he/she has made a difference in your happiness? If you don&amp;#x27;t have a pet, do you want one for mood-boosting reasons? Photo: iStock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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