A scientist said Monday that owning a dog is beneficial for the mental and physical health of the owner. Dr. Deborah Wells, a senior lecturer at the Canine Behavior Center of Queens University in Belfast, said a study of dog owners showed they have lower cholesterol and blood pressure and fewer minor physical ailments than people who do not own dogs. People who have dogs are also less likely to develop serious medical problems, she said.

Wells' research was published in the British Journal of Health Psychology. She reviewed several studies on pet owners and found that a pet dog helps their owners recover more quickly from serious illnesses, including heart attacks

The recent upsurge in salmonella sicknesses across U. S. states has been linked to pet hamsters, mice, and rats.

Of the six recently hospitalized due to salmonella poisoning, four of the patients were under eight-years-old

Researchers from the University of Turku, Finland has revealed that working-age pet owners tend to be more overweight and unhealthy than others.

The study noted that pets may offer the health benefits of coping with various physical and psychological problems. And the study found that people tend to acquire pets when they get older and become more set in their ways

In Beijing, government controls on population have extended from the bedroom to the kennel, as China formulates a one-dog only policy. Under the new guidelines introduced on Thursday, parents will be limited to providing one canine friend for their single child as China confronts a rabies scare.

In certain areas, larger canines such as Doberman and Labradors will be outlawed

Austrian activists trying to clear Vienna's streets of unhealthy and unsanitary dog droppings, and are urging residents to record every dropping they see in the space of five minutes.

The impromptu figures thereafter will be compiled and presented to city officials as a census, further pressurizing them to deal with the problem