A recent study found that dog owners live longer, healthier lives.
Dogs help cut cardiovascular risk in their owners by both offering companionship and a reason to exercise, according to researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden. Dogs, in sum, prompt their owners to go for a lot of walks.
Eric O’Grey is living proof of those findings.
In Walking with Peety, the Dog Who Saved My Life, O’Grey recounts how his went from a solemn 340 pounds, suffered Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. His doctor told him to overhaul his diet and get a dog.
“And that’s how I met Peety, the 7-year-old dog who rescued me,” he recalls now. “When people ask how I turned my life around, I point to Peety.”
He soon dumped weight, dropping to 180 pounds, and reversed his litany of illnesses. He credits his at least twice-daily walks with his dog.
Even former U.S. President Bill Clinton took notice.
He lauded O’Grey’s healthy lifestyle and pet ownership, urging people to adopt, not shop.
Some wise lessons from @Eric_OGrey:
• Small interventions and taking the first step can make a big difference in individual health.
• A pet’s love can change everything!
• #AdoptDontShop https://t.co/k6HGdkQ559— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) December 27, 2017
For O’Grey, Clinton was also his inspiration to turn his life around.
Thank you Mr. Clinton – I’ve been saying for years that my turning point was seeing your interview on @CNN in August 2010 when you told Wolf Blitzer about your new plant based diet – that’s what finally worked for me! https://t.co/5gb26AcAmG
— Eric O’Grey (@Eric_OGrey) December 27, 2017
His incredible story is featured on CNN under the headline, “How an overweight shelter dog saved Eric O’Grey’s life.”
Please check out my new video segment on CNN, advocating for plant based nutrition and adopting shelter dogs: How an overweight shelter dog saved a man’s life @CNN https://t.co/6j8PYsHbci @GrandCentralPub
— Eric O’Grey (@Eric_OGrey) December 26, 2017
The transformation is incredible.
And his love for Peety abundantly clear.
O’Grey, who lives in Boise, Idaho, considered Peety his best friend.
And when his best got cancer and died in 2015, O’Grey called it “the saddest day of my life.”
But he found the courage to love again. O’Grey adopted Jake, a Labrador retriever mix.
“Jake turned out to be the best running partner I could have hoped for, and like Peety, now travels with me almost everywhere,” O’Grey says.
Jake is being adorable on the Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family set at NBC’s Universal Studios. Watch for our segment to air tomorrow and also Friday! @GrandCentralPub @HomeandFamilyTV @MutualRescue pic.twitter.com/VV9oKe2ASE
— Eric O’Grey (@Eric_OGrey) November 15, 2017
Photos Eric O’Grey/Twitter