OREGON S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
As I coasted into the parking lot at sunrise,
a black SUV sat unmoving, its engine hum
ming. The door opened and four canine feet
hit the asphalt. In an instant, the door of the
SUV slammed shut again and the vehicle sped
away. A small reddish-brown dog left on the
tarmac raced after the departing car, then
stopped and stood, gazing into the distance
where the vehicle disappeared.
I hopped out of my car and knelt on the
ground to summon the little dog to me. “Hey,
hey, hey, hey,” I called, my voice high and cheer-
fid. The pup turned and darted my way. She
bounded across the vacant parking area, slowing
as she neared me. She lowered her head, tenta
tively wagged her tail then lifted her gaze to my
face. Her wide brown eyes drew me into their
open depths, melting me, and I felt a surge of
protectiveness. “I gotcha, baby,” I crooned.
Science tells me the rush of nurturing emo
tion I felt at that moment was chemically me
diated, a natural drug-induced state. Known as
the “love hormone,” oxytocin is a neuropeptide
released by our brains when we gaze at the face
o f a baby, a trusted lover ... or into the eyes of
a recently abandoned puppy. Oxytocin spurs
mothers to recognize their infants and care for
them. It’s involved in romantic interactions
and may play a part in orgasms. But oxytocin is
not just a female hormone, nor just a human
one. All kinds of mammals, male and female,
produce it and need lots o f it. I t’s connected to
voices >
MAY 20, 2011
Bonds of Biology
sociated to interacting socially with a person.
Her adorable gaze blasted me with charitable
instincts to protect and nurture.
There is speculation some people may pro
duce more oxytocin than others and/or have
BY MARY M A N D E V ILLE , DC
extra receptors for the hormone. W hen these
was responsible for the domestication of wolves folks see stray dogs, abused children or aban
some tens of thousands of years ago.
doned squirrels, they experience an over-the-
A recent study showed that after half an hour top rush of mushy relationship-oriented senti
of playing with a dog and as little as two min ment. Stray dogs find loving homes, neglected *
utes of gazing at the dog’s face, oxytocin levels children get a leg up and squirrels are less
had increased in the humans by 20 percent. likely to become fodder for predators.
Other studies indicate that pet owners tend to
And the human benefits?
have double the levels of oxytocin and serotonin
Preliminary research in autism is promising.
(another neuropeptide associated with feelings Pharmaceutically applied oxytocin appears to
of well-being) as non-pet owners.
reduce repetitive behaviors and increase under
Life is a recipe for fight-or-flight lately, standing and tolerance of emotional communi
what with threats o f radiation exposure, an cation in autistic individuals. A nasal spray of
economy hijacked by the wealthy few and nature’s love drug may also increase the socia
traumatic weather events fueled by climate bility of persons with attachment disorders.
change— to mention just a few of the top
Frequent floods of oxytocin have been shown
stressors. Understanding the biochemical reac to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and trig
tions involved in enjoying my canine compan lycerides, decrease anxiety, improve sleep, in
ions adds to my cache o f reasons (some might crease longevity and enhance well-being. I think
say excuses) to coddle and snuggle these mam more is probably better, and suggest everyone
malian friends. It lends insight into why a furry get a pet. But don’t trust my opinion.
one-pound squirrel might come seeking my
I’m an addict. Jj»]
company and why I didn’t ship her off to live
on her own in the woods. Imprinted on a hu M ary M a n d e v il l f . is addicted to rushes o f oxy
man face and voice and acclimated to a nice tocin. Luckily, she's an anim al chiropractor and
spurt o f oxytocin from the interaction, even a gets freq u en t fixes fro m her clients as w ell as her
rodent sought the calm, balanced state she as tw o dogs.
petlandia
our feelings of love, trust, nurturing and emo
tional bonding. Increased levels o f this hor
mone have been shown to decrease anxiety and
increase feelings of calmness, contentment, se
curity, even generosity. W hen oxytocin is pres
ent, social connection and bonding are en
hanced.
Oxytocin
mediates
the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a fancy
way of saying it decreases the fight-or-flight
response, thus lowering the stress we feel.
Those of us who live with dogs, cats, rabbits,
horses— and even rodents—often wax poetic, or
just downright sentimental, about the uncondi
tional love we experience with our pets. Science
would tell us this love is not so much uncondi
tional as biochemical. W hen the pup in the
parking lot gazed at my face, a chemical reac
tion took place. Oxytocin spiked in her canine
brain as a survival mechanism, stimulating her
continued contact with an unknown but un
threatening human. Returning her gaze, I was
flooded with a dose of the bonding hormone
that catalyzed an impulse to scoop her into my
arms and take care of her (which, of course, is
exactly what I did). A few researchers theorize
this mechanism repeated over and over again
35 J K
h
djicAfctc recintino a n d ¡Restoration
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Im agine a Religion
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! Unitarian Univcrsalists support the rights
' ol bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender and
straight people.
Families come in many forms and we
welcome them in our churches.
Please visit us at:
GRESHAM
HILLSBORO
Eastrose Fellowship*
(503) 665.2628
eastrose.org
UU Comm. Church of
Washington County*
(503) 648.1720
uuccwc.org
OREGON CITY
Atkinson Memorial Church*
(503) 656.7296
atkinsonchurch.org
(HD Indicates PFLAG support group)