A Unique Bond: Human And Animal Health

At Boehringer Ingelheim, we are dedicated to animal and human health. We understand and celebrate the positive impact an animal can have on someone living with an illness. The remarkable bond between people and their pets can have more of a lasting impact than you could ever imagine.

Visual Description: Man sitting on couch while petting dog, Jake. The most annoying thing about Jake is that he gets really jealous.

Visual Description: Woman sitting on couch, leaning over to pet dog, Brumbi. Brumbi, lie.

Lacey. What?

Visual Description: Man making sandwich in kitchen with daughter, Lacey, dog, Vale, and wife around. Do you know what Vale had for breakfast? Bacon sandwich. Found it on the field outside that house on the end. Screen text: A UNIQUE BOND

Screen Text: Eric, USA. Living with diabetes I was 340lb, on 15 different medications.

Visual Description: Eric at 340lb in a showroom kitchen I went to the doctor. He told me to go purchase a cemetery plot because I'd likely need one within the next five years.

You know about it and think, well, breast cancer is not so bad, but like I said, well... There really were a lot of moments when I thought, "Will I make it?" Screen Text: Helga, Germany. Living with breast cancer.

My lowest emotional point is planning to take my own life. Screen Text: Phil, UK. Living with a stroke You feel as though people will be better off without you.

Visual Description: Helga photographed without hair. And then after the fifth session it got so bad that I stopped the chemo. The chemotherapy would have killed me rather than the...

Visual Description: Phil, practicing walking along the hospital walls with assistance. I lost vision down my left side and then I started to lose my speech. My arm wouldn't work, my leg wouldn't work and some of my stomach muscles. Visual Description: Phil, struggling to push himself up off the floor.

The doctor told me to go to my local shelter and adopt a dog. Visual Description: Eric, playing outside with his dog. I've never owned a dog before, so I didn't know what to expect.

Visual Description: Dog laying at the foot of Helga’s bed. I never felt alone, because he is with me.

It's clichéd about man's best friend, but it is really true. Visual Description: Phil, walking with his dog.

We became bonded and experienced a bond of brotherhood unlike anything that I'd ever experienced with any person before.

He's my life partner, so to speak. A dog is a magical creature.

They've been a great example on how I should be and act towards other people.