All Episodes

July 19, 2021 24 mins

TV personality, Nicola McLean, and Blue Cross’s Pet Bereavement Support Service Manager, Diane James, join Emma Barton to explore the incredible link between pets and our mental health.


Over the last year, there has been a marked increase in the number of people struggling with their mental health because of the pandemic. To help those who may be feeling the effects, Emma and her guests will be touching upon how owning a pet can boost our mental wellbeing and the benefits of having pets in work environments and retirement homes, whilst also looking into how a pet owner’s own mental health can impact their pets. 


Delving deeper into the amazing impact pets can have on our lives, Diane James says: “It’s not just assistance dogs, but all pets can give you a form of companionship treatment, it can be therapy to improve your social, emotional or cognitive abilities and we’ve known even horses, for example, to provide this. 


“We’ve rehomed horses at Blue Cross where we had a case of a young lady who didn’t want to brush her hair, but when she saw a horse being groomed it encouraged her to brush her hair.


“It’s the joy they bring us, but it is also the social and emotional things they bring into our lives that are great.”


 Useful Links:




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.