Seniors Connect with Seniors this
Holiday Season
Unconditional love, welcome home
kisses, a kindred soul with whom to spend time and give affection,
especially during the holidays sound like the perfect companion?
Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Tampa Bay
has the solution for seniors searching for their soul mates…a
senior pet.
Senior pets are
typically seven years of age and older and seem to
understand they have been given another chance for life with a new
best friend. Much like their owners, senior pets are grateful for
the opportunity to love someone and be loved in return.
The Purina® Pets for People
Program offered by the SPCA matches mature, healthy, happy,
and housetrained pets with senior citizens. The program allows
seniors to request the pet of their dreams by filling out a
request form/application. Each pet is screened to match the
senior’s lifestyle and living situation. Each application is
reviewed and it takes time to find the perfect pet but it is worth
the wait.
Medical and university research has
proven that pets improve the overall health of seniors. Older
people with pets are more active and less likely to suffer from
depression and anxiety than their “petless” peers. Research also
shows simply stroking your pet can lower blood pressure and
decrease the risk of heart attacks. Studies reveal that pet
owning seniors better cope with stressful life events without
entering the healthcare system.
For the SPCA’s Pet’s for People
Program, Purina® covers the adoption fee and the new pet’s first
veterinarian visit. To qualify seniors must be “petless” and 60
years old and above. For more information call the SPCA Tampa Bay
at 727-586-3591 or apply in person at 9099 130th Avenue
North in Largo.
Why Should
Seniors Adopt a Senior Pet?
What You
See is What You Get:
Adopted older dogs
or cats you will usually know about any behavior
challenges or
health considerations before you adopt. In other words, there
are no surprises.
Previous Training:
In general, adult dogs and cats
require far less supervision and less constant
care, which can make them ideal
companions for people with already busy
lives. An older dog usually have some
obedience training.
Physical Demands are
Low:
Fortunately, senior animals are
usually not as demanding as younger ones
(i.e. potty training challenges,
chewed up shoes, scratch marks on the sofa).
Adults may be more content to sleep
and curl up at your feet and nap.
Matching
Lifestyles:
An adult animal’s
relatively calm demeanor and less intense exercise needs
make them the
perfect match for an older person seeking friendship and love
and in a full-time
working household. They often make excellent or at the very
least, agreeable
companions for other animals.
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