I am a dog-lover, so I might be biased when I say that dogs could save the world. My proposal would require everyone to have a dog, so I realize it might not be feasible for a number of reasons. But hear me out: dogs could save the world by changing us. Here’s how:

1) Dogs break down the awkwardness between people and foster connection. Having a dog makes people talk to you. At least, that’s what I’ve found to be true. When I walk our dogs, people speak to me that probably would never have spoken if I didn’t have three dogs in tow.

2) Dogs make people pause. It might be a fleeting stillness, but I can’t count the number of times that cars have waved me across the street when I could have waited, simply because they wanted to watch the dogs. I’m performing a public service. And as a dog owner, I’m forced to stop my never ending tasks and take them out to potty or feed them. Dogs make me stop and take a break when I wouldn’t do it on my own.

3) Dogs connect us to the natural world. Being responsible for an animal helps us remember our own status as creatures and our role in taking care of the earth.

4) Dogs offer unconditional love and silent acceptance. We don’t have to impress them, and they are ecstatic to see us every time we enter a room. If everyone had a dog, perhaps our collective stress level would decrease.

The world in general needs help, and people much smarter than me have come up with complex solutions. But I have to wonder if simplicity might be the key. Dogs, whether they know it or not, transform us into better people if we let them.