The pandemic highlighted the importance of mental health services and destigmatizing mental health care. While services like Telehealth, a virtual care and counseling service, allowed people to access mental health services, the American health care system struggles to meet the needs of its constituents.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) found rates of anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder have increased since the start of the pandemic. By early 2021, approximately four in ten adults reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, decreasing to three in ten adults as the pandemic continued. Substance use and drug overdoses “sharply increased during the pandemic — largely due to fentanyl — and after a brief period of decline, suicide deaths are once again on the rise,” the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reported earlier this year.
Where the health care system fails to support the mental health needs of Americans, we have our pets. In a letter to the president in 1855, Chief Si’ahl of the Duwamish Tribe wrote, “What is man without beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beast also happens to man. All things are connected.”
While researchers debate exactly how our relationships with our pets affect mental health, the results of a poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association indicate people attribute their positive mental state and wellness to their pets. The majority of participants reported their pets help reduce stress and anxiety, provide unconditional love and support, offer companionship, provide a calming presence, and are true friends.
According to the 2023–2024 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 66 percent of U.S. households — 86.9 million — own a pet. The average annual cost of one pet ranges from $300 to $2,000. While millions of Americans can afford the cost of pet care, there are many in need of a furry companion who cannot afford one.
In 1990, Dr. Susan Wynn, a veterinarian, and Dr. Margaret Schulte, an educator, were inspired to act, when at the height of the AIDS crisis they learned people living with HIV/AIDS were sharing food from Meals on Wheels with their pets. Concerned for the health of both person and pet, Dr. Wynn and Dr. Schulte set out to provide free pet food and low-cost services for Atlantan pet owners in need.
Dr. Wynn and Dr. Schulte founded Pets Are Loving Support, Inc. (PALS), an Atlanta-based organization that provides free and low-cost pet care supplies to metro Atlanta pet owners who make less than $30,000 per year, people living with critical illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and cancer, the disabled, and people aged 65 years and older. PALS’ offerings range from free pet food and low-cost annual immunizations, vaccinations, and heartworm testing, to heartworm and flea/tick preventatives to qualifying persons. They also provide “public vaccinations,” where nonmembers can schedule appointments to vaccinate dogs and cats that are older than 12 months.
PALS relies on a team of dedicated volunteers, including veterinarians and vet techs, and they are always looking for more volunteers. “It’s donating money, food, and time that makes a difference,” said Board Chair Ann Vitale in an interview with Georgia Voice.
While the organization’s main goal is to reduce the financial burden of being a pet owner, Executive Director Katherine Cummings spoke about the difference pets can make for people who may not be able to leave their homes.
“We have clients that count on their pets for companionship, especially if they’re not able to be out and about much,” she said. “That pet is a source of entertainment, maybe a little bit of exercise or physical activity, and just companionship.”
In addition to providing free and low-cost pet care and supplies, PALS is active in Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. PALS hosts monthly Drag Bingo at LIPS Drag Queen Show Palace on the second Tuesday of the month, where hostesses Bubba D and Erica Lee call bingo, put on a show with special guest performances, hand out cash prizes, and raise money for PALS.
On August 12, WUSSY is hosting a screening of “The Parent Trap” (1998) at the Plaza Theatre with VIP guest: actress Elaine Hendrix. Tickets for the film can be purchased here. Tickets to the Elaine Hendrix VIP Meet & Greet can be purchased here. All proceeds from the event will benefit PALS.
To stay updated on PALS’ future events, like its nationwide pet photo contest at the end of the summer, follow on Instagram: @palsatlanta, or check the events page on the website: palsatlanta.org/events.
