As the owner of 3 little fur-babies, and as the parent of an Aggie Veterinarian, I didn't need a study to tell me this, but it's still makes total sense. According to a new study from the University of Toronto, results say dog owners had a 24% lower risk of dying early. The research shows that dog ownership has been associated with decreased cardiovascular risk. Recent reports have suggested an association of dog companionship with lower blood pressure levels, improved lipid profile, and diminished sympathetic responses to stress. However, it is unclear if dog ownership is associated with improved survival as previous studies have yielded inconsistent results. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association of dog ownership with all-cause mortality, with and without prior cardiovascular disease, and cardiovascular mortality.