dr. wally, m.d.

an article in today's new york times demonstrates once again how you naked apes need us (the hounds) more than we need you:

DALLAS, Nov. 15 - For people hospitalized with advanced heart disease, it is better to have visitors than to lie quietly alone. But one type of visitor seems to be especially beneficial, researchers reported on Tuesday.

That visitor is a dog.

The senior author of the pet therapy study, Kathie M. Cole, a nurse at the University of California, Los Angeles, said 76 patients with heart failure, a condition that affects an estimated five million Americans, were randomly assigned one of the three visit types. The dogs, from 12 breeds, were screened for behavior and disease before participating in the study.

Some patients in the first group, Ms. Cole said, "began to smile and immediately engaged in conversation with dog and volunteer." Their worries seemed to vanish from their faces, she said.

"Dogs are a great comfort," she said. "They make people happier, calmer and feel more loved. That is huge when you are scared and not feeling well."

What I want to know is when do i start collecting my doctor salary?