Pets as stress reliever

I really like animals especially cats and dogs. My mood lightens when I see animals playing by themselves or with thier playmates or just walking around and looking for food or looking some place to get laid. I don't really have cats and dogs that I can say my own but in my neighborhood there's a lot of them. And everytime I arrive at home, it's really nice to be greeted by a lot of them. Running toward you, jumping all over you to the point that your clothes will get dirty, licking your face or hands to the point that you'll be wet by their saliva, wagging their tails and moving their ears because they are so happy that are already home. Seeing them like this can really make all my stress and bad mood go away. Even if I only have a limited budget for food, I can't bear not giving them their share. I even feed them using my own hands. I had a teacher before who was finishing her doctorate's degree. When she was about to publish her book, she asked permission at the Graduate School office to let her include the names of her dogs in the dedication part of her book because according to her, her dogs are really her stress reliever. How about you guys, do feel the same thing and do the same thing? I really want to know your opinions on this matter guys.