Do you have pets? I recently discovered this little factoid: Kids who live with dogs and cats are less likely to develop allergies in adulthood. These findings echo the official position of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology that “early exposure to animals (cats and dogs in particular) may actually protect children from developing [asthma and allergies].” So add one more thing to the many gifts that our dogs have given us: Three allergy-free kids.