Alex Frazer-Harrison, Neighbours
Published: Thursday, October 23, 2008
Whoever came up with the adage "A dog is a man's best friend" must have had Warren Whissell and Abby in mind.
For nearly six years Abby, a bichon-shih tzu cross, has been by the retired Canadian Pacific employee's side through some harrowing health issues."This dog has changed our lives completely," says Whissell, 61. "I never realized the importance of having a pet around, and I always looked at other people with pets and said, how could they treat it like a human being? But it's true, you never know till you have a pet yourself!"
Whissell and wife Dalia had never owned a pet before Christmas Eve 2002, when they decided to get Abby as Whissell recovered from a heart attack the preceding spring.
"I worked 37 years at Canadian Pacific, and I was never sick and I prided myself I was in such good shape," he recalls. "I had just retired and on May 27, 2002, I felt a pain in my chest and just thought I'd strained myself."
Although Whissell recovered from the heart attack, he found himself experiencing depression and anxiety in the months that followed.
Whissell says he went to his doctor for advice about the depression; the doctor's advice: get a dog.
"As soon as we got Abby, the focus changed immediately to this little puppy," says Whissell. "They say 85 per cent of those who have a heart event suffer depression ... it was such a drastic and traumatic experience, so this dog helped me in the sense that I became attuned to it."
When Whissell experienced a second heart attack in August 2005, Abby was once more by his side. Then, last summer, when complications arose from a surgery, Whissell found himself again rushed to hospital.
"Fortunately, Canmore General Hospital was pet-friendly," he says. "Abby was with me 12 hours a day. She lay there without flinching. Every time I was conscious, my hand was on her back. Having a dog brought normalcy to a situation when you only saw tubes, nurses and doctors. And it made me want to get better faster."
Whissell's story is not unusual.
"The role of pets has changed a lot in our society," says Robert Church, owner of Petland Market Mall and a well-known pet expert. "They used to be farm dogs and farm cats and they'd be outside and wander around the neighbourhood and never go to the vet. Today, we have a lot more single-parent families, people distracted by videogames and work, everyone is busier (and) having pets in the home seems to be a real solidifying factor -- the one constant.
"An animal doesn't get caught up in the day-to-day stuff," Church continues. "They're just happy to see you. As we have less and less people happy to see us unconditionally, we have become more emotionally invested in our pets."
Having a pet can positively affect a person's health and state of mind, says Sandra Johnston, executive director of the Pet Access League Society (PALS), whose volunteers take dogs, cats, and other pets to visit seniors in care centres and hospices, and patients at the Alberta Children's Hospital.
"Recently, the American Heart Association found a 12-minute dog visit reduces blood pressure and helps in managing hormones in cardiac patients and those with hypertension," says Johnston. "And it reduces anxiety in people who are hospitalized."
Johnston says studies have shown that children who grow up in homes with pets -- not just dogs, but cats and birds, too -- display a higher level of empathy and understanding toward animals as they grow older.
"With young kids, I think it can be a fantastic opportunity for learning and for caring even dealing with fish or hamsters, it gives loads of opportunities to learn about the circle of life," adds Church.
As for Whissell, his friend Abby continues to stick with him through thick and thin, including more recent health issues.
"I'd be in chemotherapy and I'd come home and lie on the sofa -- who was there the whole time? Abby," he says. "She's a constant companion for me and my wife."
The Whissells recently got to return the favour to their four-legged friend. When Abby was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, they arranged for her to undertake acupuncture from a local vet, and this has helped her recover without the need for surgery.
"We're on this journey together," says Whissell.
