Michal Czerwonka for The New York Times Tommy Conforti, a cancer patient, and Lady, a therapy dog.

In today’s Science Times, reporter Carla Baranauckas writes about a major new effort to study the role that pets play in human health.

Anecdotes abound on the benefits of companion animals — whether service and therapy animals or family pets — on human health. But in-depth studies have been rare. Now the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health, is embarking on an effort to study whether these animals can have a tangible effect on children’s well-being.

To learn more about the research, read the full column, “Exploring the Health Benefits of Pets,” and then please join the discussion below.

And on the Consults blog, Dr. Melissa Nishawala, clinical director of the autism-spectrum service at the Child Study Center at New York University, is responding to readers’ questions about the role of pet therapy in treating children with autism at “Readers Ask: Pets, People and Autism.”

Todd Heisler/The New York Times Stefanie Rinza began rescuing animals after a long illness. Click the photo to hear her story.

Much has been written about the healing power of pets and how animals of all kinds can improve health. Scientists have even studied whether pet owners begin to look like their dogs.

But sometimes, poor health brings us closer to our pets. Dana Jennings of The New York Times has shared how aggressive prostate cancer has changed his relationship with his dog Bijou and the lessons he has learned from her.

Now, today’s One in 8 Million multimedia series tells the story of Stefanie Rinza, 44, a fine antiques dealer who experienced a serious illness at age 30. Ms. Rinza relates how her poor health prompted her to seek the companionship of a rescue dog.

“I had always had this underlying feeling that I was desperate to have a dog,” she says. “But the real conscious realization came when I was 30 years old and had a very bad illness that was kind of scary, and it could have been worse. I thought, ‘Why is it I’ve worked so very hard and don’t fulfill the one dream I have and that is to have a dog?’ As soon as I was better I went to the Battersea shelter in London and picked out a dog.”

Ms. Rinza today is in good health, has 4 rescue dogs and has found homes for about 40 animals of all kinds, including a lost bunny, white doves released at a wedding and a kitten stranded in the trunk of a drunken driver’s car. To hear her full story and photos of her animals, click on the photo above or go to the One in 8 million slide show “The Animal Rescuer.”

And then please join the discussion below. Did a health problem change your relationship with a pet or prompt you to seek an animal companion?

Alex di Suvero for the New York Times Can you get MRSA from your pet?

In recent years, the resistant bacteria known as MRSA has become a growing problem for veterinarians, with an increasing number of infections turning up in birds, cats, dogs horses, pigs, rabbits and rodents, reports today’s Science Times.

MRSA infections have been found in zoo animals and in therapy dogs, who pick up the germs when visiting hospitals and nursing homes. Recently, a study found that cat owners were eight times more likely than others to have MRSA at home.

To learn more, read the full story, “Tie to Pets Has Germ Jumping to and Fro,” and then please join the discussion below.

Gary Kazanjian for The New York Times Ed and Toni Eames and their guide dogs, Latrell, left, and Keebler, at their home in Fresno, Calif. Mr. Eames is president of the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners.

Beyond the companionship dogs provide, our four-legged friends have a long tradition of service in the medical world. Dogs see for the blind, hear for the deaf, assist people in wheelchairs and alert people with diabetes of an impending health crisis. People with autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder also can benefit from service dogs.

But despite the benefits, the cost of a service dog — ranging from the initial purchase to the long-term care — can be prohibitive. In today’s Patient Money column, Walecia Konrad explores the costs associated with service dogs. Read the full column, “An Aide for the Disabled, a Companion, and Nice and Furry,” and then please join the discussion below.

When owners look like their pets. (Click on photo for slideshow.)

Do you look like your dog? That’s the question we asked readers following this week’s “Really?” column in Science Times, which explored the claim that dogs and owners often look alike.

Hundreds of readers submitted photos of themselves and their canine companions, and if this sample is any indicator, we see an uncanny family resemblance among many dog owners and pets.

What do you think? Take a look at the slideshow and decide for yourself. And please, join the discussion below. Click here if you want to submit your own photos, and check back as we continue to add new family portraits to the slideshow.

In today’s “Really?” column, “The Claim: Some Dogs Look Like Their Owners,” New York Times reporter Anahad O’Connor explores the claim that owners and dogs often look alike. Although the data are mixed, there is a suggestion that dogs and owners do resemble each other more often than not

Leif Parsons

But we want to find out for ourselves. Send us your photos so we can put together a slide show of dogs and their owners.

Click on this link to submit your photos (one each of you and your pet, or both of you together — no ‘photoshopping,’ please). Be sure to include your name, your pet’s name and the place the photo was taken, and tell us a little about the shot. Then click here for a slideshow of some of the photos submitted so far, and check back for regular slideshow updates.

Ruth Fremson/ The New York Times Your pet can help you fight the battle of the bulge.

San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer recently wrote that dining out every night helps keep him healthy. Although most of us associate restaurant eating with fattening foods, Mr. Bauer notes that dining out at independent restaurants (not chains) means he is eating food prepared by talented chefs with the skills to turn fresh Bay Area produce into delicious, healthful meals.

“I have a feeling that if I didn’t eat out every night, I’d be one of those fighting the battle of the bulge,” he wrote.

But as he recently explained to the Summer Tomato blog, one particular dining strategy prevents him from overeating. A portion of his restaurant meals are always saved for his pet:

“I’ve gotten to the point where I start to feel really guilty if I come home without something for my dog.”

I contacted Mr. Bauer to learn a little more about his doggie bag strategy when dining out. He told me that he makes a conscious effort at every meal to bring home a third to half of the protein, whether it’s chicken, beef, lamb or pork. (He usually doesn’t bring home fish.)

“It started when I had Bella, a pound dog that was an Australian Shepherd mix,” he explained. “She loved chicken and other leftovers. She had the most expressive eyes, and if I didn’t bring her something she would give me this soulful, questioning look.”

Another rescue dog, a Sheltie named Lexie, also began to look forward to doggie bags when Mr. Bauer returned home, but her favorite food was rice.

Both dogs have since died, but three years ago he rescued Sheba, a Brittany spaniel. The dog’s allergy problems meant she could only eat a limited diet, so “for about a year I didn’t bring things home, and I overate,” Mr. Bauer said.

But Sheba’s dietary options have since expanded, and Mr. Bauer has started asking restaurants to pack up doggie bags again.

“Now she’s able to eat more foods,” he said. “She, like Bella, looks forward to the leftovers.”

Not all table scraps are good for pets. Chocolate, raisins and chicken bones are just a few things that should stay out of the doggie bag. But lean meats, vegetables and grains are fine. Here’s a link from the ASPCA about the dos and don’ts of feeding your pet from the table.

Peter DaSilva for The New York Times Dogs like Kobi, a yellow Labrador, have participated in cancer detection studies.

Catching up on my weekend Web reading, I came across an interesting video from National Geographic, about dogs who sniff out cancer and health problems associated with diabetes.

One of the dogs featured, a collie named Tinker, began whining and barking when his owner, who has diabetes, experienced dangerous drops in blood sugar. Although Tinker wasn’t trained at first, his reactions to the hypoglycemic attacks led to further training as a qualified “hypo alert” dog. The video also features the work of the British research center, Cancer and Bio-Detection Dogs.

The center has 17 rescue dogs at various stages of training that will be paired up with diabetic owners, including many children, reports Reuters.

Last year, researchers from Queen’s University in Belfast decided to investigate anecdotal reports from dog owners who said their pets warned them of hypoglycemic attacks. They surveyed 212 dog owners, all of whom had Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder that prevents the body from producing insulin. A regular concern with Type 1 is that blood sugar will drop precipitously low, causing a person to fall unconscious.

Among the dog owners, 138, or 65 percent, said their dog had shown a behavioral reaction to at least one of their hypoglycemic episodes. About a third of the animals had reacted to 11 or more events, with 31.9 percent of animals reacting to 11 or more events. The dogs got their owners’ attention by barking and whining, (61.5 percent), licking (49.2 percent), nuzzling (40.6 percent), jumping on top of them (30.4 percent), and/or staring intently at their faces (41.3 percent). A small percentage of the dogs reportedly tremble in fear at the time of a hypoglycemic attack.

To learn more, watch the three-minute video or read the transcript on the National Geographic Web site.

And for more on dogs detecting cancer read “Moist Nose Shows Promise in Tracking Down Cancer,” by my colleague Donald G. McNeil, Jr.

Both human and canine hospital visitors can pick up germs from patients’ rooms. (Andrea Mohin/The New York Times)

A new study of pet therapy dogs shows just how easily hospital germs can be transmitted to visitors.

Canadian researchers studied 26 therapy dogs who visited patients in hospitals or long-term care facilities. Before and after each visit, a dog’s forepaws and the hands of its handler were tested for three bacteria that commonly cause hospital infections — Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci and Clostridium difficile. To detect whether a dog was carrying germs on its fur, the researcher also sanitized her hands, petted the dog and had her hands tested for the pathogens.

None of the dog paws, handlers or the researcher tested positive for the bacteria before the hospital visits. But after the hospital visits, two of the dogs were contaminated. One dog, a greyhound, had C. difficile on its paws. Another dog, a pug, appeared to pick up MRSA on its fur. (MRSA was found on the hands of the investigator after she petted the dog upon its return.)

So how did the dogs end up as carriers of the risky germs? Read more…

Erin Trieb for The New York Times “The Horse Boy” author Rupert Isaacson and his son Rowan in Elgin, Tex.

In today’s New York Times, reporter Motoko Rich writes about a new book, “The Horse Boy,” that chronicles a father’s trip to Mongolia to ride horses and visit shamans as part of an effort to heal his son’s autism. Ms. Rich asked several top autism experts whether the book offers important insights or false hope for families coping with autism. Here’s what they said: Read more…

Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times A canine hazard.

As someone with three small dogs and two cats, I could relate to the news today that pet accidents are a major source of injury in the United States. My pets are constantly underfoot, and just the other day I took a tumble as I tried to avoid squashing a 6-month-old Shih Tzu.

A new study shows that more than 86,000 people a year end up in the emergency room because they tripped over the family pet. The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that while we sometimes trip over our cats, dogs are the primary cause of pet-related falling accidents. Dr. Judy Stevens, whose research focuses on preventing falls in senior citizens, said she’s often heard people explain that they were tripped up by the family pet, but until now there were no data to show how common a problem it really is.

Have you tripped over the family pet? Please join the discussion and share your stories of animal-related trips, falls and mishaps.

Would you give up smoking to help your dog? (Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times)

Despite numerous health warnings about smoking, many people still don’t want to give up their cigarettes. But now tobacco researchers have found a new motivation to help people kick the habit — the family pet.

Researchers at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit say few smokers realize that secondhand smoke poses a health threat to pets. They conducted an online survey of about 3,300 pet owners in Michigan. About one in five of the respondents were smokers, while 27 percent lived with a smoker. Read more…

At your service? (Damon Winter/The New York Times)

A legal battle in New York City highlights the healing power of dogs for children with autism and Asperger’s syndrome.

Manhattan federal prosecutors have accused the owners of an Upper East Side residence of discriminating against 11-year-old Aaron Schein by preventing him from having a dog, The New York Daily News reports. Aaron has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, often considered a high-functioning form of autism, and his doctors believe a service dog will relieve anxiety and help him cope with the disorder. People with Asperger’s usually have average or above-average intelligence, but they lack the intuitive ability to read social cues and find it difficult to make friends and form relationships. Read more…

Even dogs that don’t shed can trigger an allergic reaction. (G. Paul Burnett/The New York Times, Phil Mansfield for The New York Times, Scott Mullin for The New York Times, Tony Cenicola/The New York Times)

Few appointments in the new Obama administration are as eagerly awaited as the choice of first dog. Animal advocacy groups are lobbying for a rescue pet. Meanwhile, the American Kennel Club has seized on the fact that Malia Obama has allergies, suggesting that the first family choose among several so-called “hypoallergenic” breeds like the Bichon Frise or the poodle.

Now allergy specialists are weighing in as well, noting that there really is no such thing as a nonallergenic dog. People who are allergic to dogs are reacting to the pet dander, not the pet hair. Dogs like poodles, with coats that don’t shed, and hairless dogs will typically produce less dander than other types of dogs, but they still can produce enough dander to affect a highly allergic person.

Dr. Jonathan Field, director of the allergy and asthma clinic at New York University’s Langone Medical Center/Bellevue, said he gets questions all the time from parents who want dogs despite a child’s allergies. “Pet allergies are not due to hair, but are from pet dander — skin flakes — but also can be reactions to saliva or urine,” Dr. Field said. “Before investing in a dog, I suggest that parents have their child spend time with an animal — if possible — to see how they react.”