On Saturday, May 18, Dr. Lindy North, co-owners with Dr. Kelly Keenan of the Meadow Pond Animal Hospital, LLC, in West Ossipee and Moultonborough, will present a program entitled “Our Pets: Caring for Us and Caring for Them,” at the handicap accessible Cook Memorial Library in Tamworth at 3 p.m. This program is sponsored by the Tamworth Community Nurse Association.
Nearly anyone who owns a pet — be it a cat, dog, goat, bunny, cockatiel, lizard or hedgehog — will be happy to tell you about their furry/feathered/scaly friend and about just how much that critter means to them. Indeed, the company of animals – whether as pets or service animals – can have a profound impact on a person’s quality of life and ability to recover from illnesses. Dr. North will be speaking about this human – animal bond and the beneficial effects that having a pet can have on a person, or even a family.
For example, studies with cancer patients have shown that animals can play a role in reducing anxiety, depression and aggression during their treatment and, in another study, people receiving treatment for mental illness found that animal-assisted treatments reduced their anger, anxiety, depression, and general distress, and also improved their ability to socialize.
Dr. North discovered her love of animals while growing up, mostly in Africa. She attended Gettysburg College and earned her B.A. in Economics and Political Science. She later attended Wilson College and Gettysburg College to further her studies in Biochemistry and Chemistry. She attended Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine and obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 2001.
For further information about this program, or about the Tamworth Community Nurse Association (TCNA), call 603-323-8511, or email tamworthnurses. Seating is limited, it is recommended that anyone interested in attending arrive early.