"I was reading 'Science Daily' the other day, an online publication I spend time reading every week. The article that caught my eye contained research from the University of Australia, where they explored the topic of pets, touch, and COVID-19. I am fascinated that they studied how touch, specifically touching one's pet, was significantly important for people during the 2020 lockdown. In total, 32 people were interviewed, and over 90% claimed that touching their pets was comforting during the pandemic. This article then caused me to give deeper consideration to the long-term impact pet-ownership could have on a person suffering from depression."