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"As someone who is actually considering adopting a dog&amp;amp;#8212;even though she already has three cats that she adopted about six months ago (I mean, can we get an intervention going here? Also, please don&amp;#x27;t tell my husband!), this is really, really good news. The American Heart Association just released a new report that will make you want to go smooch your pets ASAP. As if you didn&amp;#x27;t want to do that already. According to the latest issue of the journal Circulation, owning a pet seems to have heart-health benefits for the owner&amp;amp;#8212;and, ultimately, could result in a longer life. The report shows that the benefits were especially prevalent for dog owners, though pet ownership in general has been shown to lower blood pressure and decrease overall depression. Says the report: Owning a dog was shown to reduce cardiovascular risk, perhaps because dog owners are more likely to engage in physical activities just by walking them. One study of over 5,200 adults showed that dog owners were more active than non-dog owners, and were 54 percent more likely to reach recommended levels of physical activity. The experts say that there may be a casual relationship between owning a pet and decreased cardiovascular risk. And this isn&amp;#x27;t the first study to show that pet ownership comes with health benefits: Other research has shown that having a pet can lower your blood pressure and increase feelings of happiness. And other research has shown that even just looking at pictures of cute animals can help your health, so here are some ultra-adorable pets just for you: Source: cutepetpics.tumblr.com via Sarah on Pinterest Source: weheartit.com via Tammy on Pinterest Source: farm4.staticflickr.com via madie on Pinterest Source: moodsofthemoon.tumblr.com via Carolyn on Pinterest Source: 9gag.com via Oriana Luna on Pinterest Source: Uploaded by user via Danelys on Pinterest What do you think? What kinds of pets do you have? More about pets and health: * Why this mama cat is really hugging her baby * Puppies eating! * Why you&amp;#x27;re making your dog yawn"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2013/05/another-reason-to-love-your-pe>