We already know there are very few things better than a warm ‘welcome home’ from a happy, loving dog. Or the comfort of a furry feline companion curled up next to you. The presence of a beloved pet can provide great benefit to a child’s development. But that bond doesn’t only create ‘warm and fuzzy’ feelings – it can provide much-needed support for children with autism, physical handicaps, allergies or other health problems. In order to learn more about the value of the human-animal bond’s effects, especially on children, the National Institutes of Health’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development is providing grant money for studies.