Sometimes animals help people in many ways. For example, people in prison who are allowed to keep pets sometimes become less nervous. Animals also seem to help people who are sick or lonely. People in nursing homes showed great joy when pets were brought to them. They liked to touch the animals and talk to them, And they liked to talk to one another about the animals. One doctor showed that heart patients who owned pets lived longer than those who didn't. This may be because pets helped these people relax.