If you've ever wondered why it is that people have such a deep attachment to pets (maybe dogs in particular... no bias here...), and does it go past just the obvious reasons into something on a more molecular, scientific level, well, there's a fabulous book that dives into it!

The Purest Bond, co-authored by Stacey Colino and Jen Goldbeck, is a book that's not just a warm and cozy read, but also adds some science-backed research: how dogs are good for our health, mentally and physically, and how even our resistance and gut microbiome improve by sharing a living space.

Stacey Colino has been an author and health & science writer for the past 25 years, who recently turned her attention to the human experience with their pets. As a long time dog owner, with many touching stories and experiences of her own, she could relate to that intrinsic question of, "Why?"

Stacey shares her wonderful story of finding Sadie (in fact, they chose each other!), after the devastating loss of their previous pet, while Ken shares about driving all the way up to Michigan to pick up Charlie the puppy, much to the surprise of his wife, but 8 years later Charlie is well ensconced in the Gluckman household.

We chat about attachment bonds between human and pet, but also the notion of "disenfranchised grief," when people don't realize the effect that losing a dog can have on someone. It gets kind of dismissed and forgotten. Stacey's book helps you channel your grief in ways that can help you heal and process it.

The book is full of beautiful and amazing stories, and we hear some excerpts here today, such as the remarkable story about a man in Florida, who was saved by his dog giving essentially a type of doggy-CPR.

Today's episode is a good companion piece to our double episodes from season one about pet adoption and petsitting, Golden Years & Golden Paws: Seniors and Dog Adoption - Part 1 and Senior Pet Adoption, But Not the Usual Suspects! - Part 2, so make sure to check those out for some great info on how to enjoy pets, without necessarily making a full time commitment.

Our thanks to Stacey for sharing her stories and research!

Find The Purest Bond here:

https://a.co/d/0bVyae8E

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