Treehugger

An any pet owner will tell you, having a furry friend or two is about more than having something to warm your lap; pets actually do help improve our quality of life. The truth lies inside the numbers.



75 -- percent less likely that kids who have two or more pets will develop allergies later in life.

28 -- percent of heart patients who were also pet owners who survived serious heart attacks.

6 -- percent of heart patients who weren’t pet owners that survived serious heart attacks.



39 million -- the number of birds killed by domestic cats each year, just in Wisconsin. Circle of life…

5,500 -- the number of puppies and kittens (compared to 415 human babies) born every hour in the United States.

3 - 4 million -- the number of homeless cats and dogs euthanized by shelter workers each year, sadly.



10 million -- the amount of waste created by American dogs and cats each year, in tons. The solution? Get a pet-waste composter [www.plantea.com] so it doesn’t all end up embalmed in plastic bags forever, or left in the yard to wash into the sewer the next time it rains.

101 -- in addition to the number of Dalmations, it’s the number of ways you can further green your pet; check our here [www.greenpet.com], here [greatgreenpet.com] and here [www.thegreenguide.com] for more ideas.