Pet Parade: Pets Are Good For You By AL SWANSON

Research by psychologists at Miami University and St. Louis University indicates pet ownership is good for the average person's health as well as happiness.

"Although there is correlational evidence that pets may help individuals facing significant life stressors, little is known about the well-being benefits of patterns for everyday people," they wrote in a paper, "Friends With Benefits: On the Positive Consequences of Pet Ownership," published online by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

The psychologists surveyed 217 people on such variables as depression, loneliness, self-esteem, activity level and intra-personal relations with other people to determine whether there was any difference between the responses of pet owners and people who do not have pets in their lives.

Their finding: pet owners tend to be less lonely, have more self-esteem, get more exercise, are more extroverted and were less fearful about closeness to other people.

And apparently the type of pet doesn't matter much.

Belongingness is a central need said the group led by Allen R. McConnell at Miami University.

The second part of the study -- which surveyed 56 dog owners -- found dog owners tended to benefit most when their canines "complemented rather than competed" with people in their lives.

The research indicated well-balanced dogs that were less aggressive, less fearful and more active toward other people, and animals were best for their owners needs.

In the third part of the study, 97 college students were asked to write about a difficult time when they were socially excluded or rejected and then write about a favorite pet. The psychologists concluded writing about pets was as effective in minimizing feelings of rejection as writing about a friend.

"In summary, pets a serve as important sources of social support, providing many positive psychological and physical benefits for their owners," the researchers said.

While 62 percent of U.S. households have a pet, pet ownership obviously isn't for everyone and people unable to care for a pet or who suffer from severe allergies may have to forgo animal companionship.

According to the Los Angeles Times, nearly three-in-10 pet owners who smoked said they would attempt to quit it if was proven second-hand smoke harmed their pets. Fewer than 2 percent said they would quit to keep cigarette smoke away from their children