I drew Ginger for an old neighbor of mine, and the whole time I kept thinking about what a dog like this means to a family.

A 2019 review of studies covering nearly 4 million people found that dog owners had a 24% lower risk of dying from any cause. The benefit was even better for people who had already survived a heart attack. A separate study in Sweden found that heart attack survivors who lived alone with a dog had a 33% lower risk of death than those without one. The researchers are careful to say this shows a link, not proof that the dog is the cause. Part of it is probably simple. People who walk their dogs get up to 30 more minutes of exercise a day.

The bond goes both ways. In a Japanese study, when dogs and their owners looked at each other, levels of oxytocin, the hormone tied to bonding, went up in both of them. The researchers didn’t find the same effect with hand-raised wolves and their owners.

Look at Ginger’s face and you can see why people say a dog is family.

The Piece

Title: Ginger
Commissioned portrait
Medium: Digital charcoal
Year: 2025

Artist note: I have personally never painted or drawn my own pets, but I find that this will one day change my mind. It was fun to shift my perspective into a different animal after drawing beaks for multiple years straight.