HIGHLIGHTS Owning any pet can have a significant role in reducing depression, anxiety, and stress. The physical and psychological benefits in the form of a pet have genuine physiological underpinnings and is thought to affect both sympathetic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal reactivity. Even short-term exposure to a novel dog in an unfamiliar or anxiety provoking setting can lower cortisol and heart rate levels. Pet ownership may be a protective factor for individual and c