Stamps: May '98
Children's Pets
Parrot, Dog, Cat, Rabbit, Hamster, Fish
 

    Issue: May 1998
    Designer: Mario Sermoneta
    Size: 30.8mm x 30.8mm
    Plate #: 347
    Sheet of 6 stamps
    Tabs: 6
    Printers: Government Printers
    Method: Offset

n the pyramids of ancient Egypt, in burial sites in East Africa, in formerly inhabited caves in Europe, and in secluded temples in the Far East, archeologists have found detailed evidence of a sophisticated connection between man and animals. Origins are vague; domestication predates history.

Today, accelerated urbanization has distanced us from wild animals, but this in turn has reinforced the domestication process and brought man closer to household pets, which have come to represent an entire rapidly-retreating world.

Modern society benefits from household pets in rich and diverse ways. Children -- adults too -- treat them as members of the family and speak to them, a habit proven to have a soothing effect on the speakers.

Increasingly, pets are used in therapeutic treatments. Autistic children show improved communication ability after swimming with dolphins. One clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of adolescents claims that the presence of a dog during consultations fosters a relaxed atmosphere that encourages his young patients to speak more freely.

People's ties to pets begin early. Babies, after all, are surrounded by animals, or at least representations of them in the form of cuddly toys. As children grow up, a relationship with a pet helps to develop a sense of responsibility and engenders a wider variety of emotions. Several studies suggest that children who grow up with pets live longer and have more purposeful lives as adults.

Perhaps surprisingly, there are only an estimated 200,000 dogs and 100,000 cats cared for as pets in Israel. This is quite a low number relative to the human population.

Dr. Ilan Skorinsky
Veterinarian