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Biophilia - The Human/Animal Bond

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Excerpts from Bob 's recent TV interview segment for Great Day San Antonio, Channel 5 

Question: Your book, Catalyst  is themed around the Biophilia Hypothesis. What exactly is Biophilia? 
Bob: I like to pronounce it [bio-feel-ya] so its meaning to “feel-life” is clear. The Biophilia Hypothesis was put forth by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and Harvard entomologist/socio-biologist Edward O. Wilson, in his 1984 landmark book about The Human Bond with Other Species. He defined biophilia as “The connections that human beings subconsciously seek with the rest of life.” 

Professor Wilson argued that Biophilia is: 
*Determined by a biological need 
*Genetically encoded 
*UNALTERABLE

It seeems our well-being depends on having access to nature and other living beings. Biophilia is most clearly manifested in our association with pets. 

Question: Are there proven benefits derived from having pets in our lives? 
Bob: Alan Beck, Director of the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue writes, “(Pets) are great stress relievers, they...
*Strengthen the human immune system
*Lower heart rates and cholesterol levels 
*Improve our motor skills 
*Foster independence and responsibility 
*Reduce loneliness 
*Increase exercise activity 
*Provide security and protection 
*Create a sense of joyful contentment 

Question: Are these the reasons you invented a world where NO PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED WITHOUT PETS? 
Bob: All the animals in my novel are based on my real pets and I’ve been changed immeasurably by them. 

I believe there is, what I call the BOOMERang Legacy. Baby Boomers like myself have invented the disposable relationship – we consume and discard products, other humans (divorce), animals (abandonment), and even our planet’s natural resources. Our unnatural behavior is coming back to haunt us in the destruction of our precious planet Earth. 

I describe in CATALYST “the way of the listening” - maybe only the whisper of sanity from our pets will turn the tide. By living with pets, we can become a more caring species. Imagine if all the ambassadors to the United Nations or the members of our own Congress conducted business with a cat-on-their-lap or a dog-by-their-side. Disagreements would not escalate into irreconcilable differences. 

Question: Can pets really make such a dramatic difference? 
Bob: 63% all U.S. households have pets – approx. 69 million - 9 out of 10 consider pets’ part of the family. That represents approximately 164 million cats and dogs (74 million cats – 90 million dogs) living amongst us already. 

Everyday in a million little ways they make all the difference and there are amazing Pets-Helping-People Programs: 
*House of worship pets 
*Bring your pet to work days 
*Service dogs – companions to the sight, hearing and mobility impaired. *Hospital/nursing home caregiver pets 
*Pets for the elderly 
*Prisoner/dog rehabilitation 
*Pet search and rescue teams 
*Reading disorder dogs 
*Diagnostic/therapy pets 

Animals assist in ways humans cannot. They are the most affordable full-time caregivers – no need to pay for vacation leave, separate quarters, or time-off as pets only want time-on. They improve a person’s will for self determination – we develop a more independent-contributive attitude towards life with a pet caregiver as opposed to the more dependent-subservient posture when a human provides assistance. 

Question: Obviously you believe pets are very special. Are there any extraordinary experiences of animals doing the miraculous? 
Bob: Almost daily, all over the world their feats of heroism make headlines. 
*Hilton Head Islands’ own Jake from The Salty Dog: Captain John Braddock’s 36ft fishing vessel was capsized in a sudden violent storm. The captain clung to Jake’s collar for an incredible 3 days and nights and finally, somehow Jake navigated back to their home port, saving them both. 
*Sniffing out Cancer: California’s Pine Street Foundation – dogs are trained to identify lung and breast cancer by smelling patient’s breath – 98% of cases accurately diagnosed. 

Gill Lacey’s life saved by her dog Trudy who constantly sniffed and pawed one area on her leg until she finally mentioned it to a doctor and they found a malignant tumor. 

*2005 National Hero Dog Award: 8 year old, Border collie mix named Shannon, honored for knowing something was wrong, fighting to get out of the farmhouse, and then finding her guardian on the 80 acre Missouri farm where he was pinned under a tractor. 

*Cat hero in North Dakota: Bernice McDowall’s black cat named Joey who woke her aggressively and she found her basement ablaze and was just able to escape. 

*2004 tsunami disaster: 240,000 people perished but almost no animals (wild, livestock or pets) perished. Two hours before the wave struck the India coast, flamingos started leaving their watering holes en mass. Cows stampeded away, forcing their owners to pursue and taking them out of harms way. Elephants carried tourists to safety. 

We ignore our pets at our own peril! 

To arrange an interview or a speaking engagement with Bob Harvey, please contact Bob@MeandYouToo.com

To Hear and See Bob LIVE on the AIR, Visit www.meandyoutoo.com/media_kit.php

Tags

animals, dogs, cats, cat, catalyst, books, animal bond, rescue, heroes, miracles, friendship, biophilia, humans