August is National Wellness Month, the perfect opportunity to explore the many facets of wellness for the ALS community, highlighting healthy habits that can help attain better physical and mental health outcomes. 

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For Jessica Miller and her parents, animals were a constant in their life. They were just always around. Her dad was in the military, so they moved around a lot, but often found themselves taking in rescues at each stop along the way. It was part of what drew Jessica to pursue veterinary school.

So, when her dad was diagnosed with ALS, it came as no surprise to her that having those animals around just made things a little…better.

“It was a comfort. Like there's just something about (animals), I think maybe because they read body language a lot better than we do,” Jessica said. “I think some of it is knowing that it's just this like unconditional, non-judgmental love. They're just happy that you exist. They are happy for you to be there.”

Since the bond between humans and animals as companions began nearly 15,000 years ago, people have understood anecdotally that having pets in our lives can help decrease stress and improve our emotional and physical well-being. However, the formal study of how pets benefit people with different medical conditions—including people living with ALS—is relatively new.

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After seeing these benefits, medical professionals began considering how having an animal companion might be helpful for the wellness of people of all ages facing physical or emotional challenges. In many cases, they have found animals bring an innate sense of calm, compassion and awareness that can be helpful in a variety of ways.

Jessica witnessed this first-hand with her dad. “I know with my dad, we would go around in the wheelchair; he was always so worried about what people were going to think about him, that people were going to think he's like some kind of monster or something because he's in a chair and he can't talk as much,” she said. “So, when he came home and the cats would come up and they were so happy to see him, and then they would come up and just lay next to him. He wasn't being poked and prodded, but he still has that comfort and warmth and (the feeling) that ‘I'm wanted, and they want to be with me.’”

And while animals lack the ability to speak, their keen senses can often be helpful when detecting when something is just not right with “their human.” “They know that there's something off, and especially when they're lying next to them. They feel changes in breathing, they feel changes in heart rate, they feel changes in temperature,” Jessica said.

While having an animal companion can be beneficial for the wellness of people living with ALS, if a pet is not already part of the home, there are some things to consider before adding one. A large, high-energy pet might not be the best choice. Instead, you might want to consider a cat or a smaller, older dog. She also recommends taking some time to meet any animal you are considering bringing into your family to see if its personality matches your needs.

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Pets can contribute to the overall wellness of all family members. “They end up being there for the family as much as the person (living with ALS),” Jessica said. “It's the family that has to take care of them. I think sometimes it gives them a little bit of structure.”

For Jessica and her mother, having animals around even helped with the healing after her father passed away. “They're really good at helping with grief and mourning because again, you have to have a routine; you have to get up to feed them; you have to still take care of them,” she said. “There's that little bit of obligation there to keep you going—a family member still needs you. Because all of a sudden there’s a huge, huge hole, but (with a pet) it’s not a complete emptiness.”

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Jessica recently finished veterinary school, and is currently working on her clinical year, after which she will be able to be a practicing veterinarian. In the long term, she wants to open her own veterinary clinic that would also offer ALS patient’s pets veterinary care. “I'm a big softy and I want to help all the animals that need the help, and I want to help all the people who would do anything for their animals,” she said.

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While no single wellness approach works for every person living with ALS, the unconditional love of a pet might provide some comfort and companionship on their ALS journey. For many, there’s just something about pets. 

To continue to follow stories about people living with ALS in the community and learn more about the disease, subscribe to receive our weekly blogs in your inbox HERE or follow us at als.org/blog.   

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