Reprinted by permission of The Humane Society of the United States."
The
Humane Society of the United States
***{Please note that we make no representation that The
HSUS endorses the owner of our site, or our site's content, products, or
services.}
***{Dachshund Haven of Garden Grove or anyone involved with them
are not affiliated with the HSUS and they are not affiliated with us.}
SENIOR
PARTNERS: OLDER AMERICANS AND MATURE PETS
By Rebecca Simmons
When Marjorie Smith walked into the Idaho Humane
Society in Boise two years ago, the 72-year-old was struggling with the recent
loss of her son and the 9-11 tragedy.
Like thousands of other seniors, Smith was
battling a problem that threatened to consume her. The retired secretary wasn't
suffering from cancer or heart disease, but from loneliness. Divorced and living
alone, Smith was looking for something, or someone, to help her.
Gus had been waiting patiently, but his family
still hadn't come back for him. A ten-year-old Scottish terrier, he had spent
his entire life with the same family. But once the children had grown up and
moved away, Gus was forced to spend his days alone. His family felt that they
didn't have the time to take care of him anymore and decided to relinquish Gus
to the local shelter.
It's a common scenario all across America.
Divorce ends marriages, children move, family and friends pass away and, as we
age, loneliness and depression become all too familiar. But many seniors have
found a way to combat isolation—by adopting a pet through their local shelter.
When Smith saw Gus walk into the Humane Society's
waiting room, she was impressed with his attitude. "He walked with dignity and
made me smile," she says. Smith adopted Gus on the spot, and they became fast
friends, spending their days taking walks around the neighborhood and lounging
in the rocking chair. "We bonded immediately, and I have never been sorry for a
moment that I went to the shelter that evening," says Smith.
And It's Good for You, Too
"Emotionally, pets can bring new meaning and
purpose to the life of a senior who is living far away from friends or family,"
says Kelly Connolly, HSUS issues specialist for companion animals. "The
unconditional love and commitment to their owners is almost like free therapy.
They can act as friends, entertainers, and warm, fuzzy bundles of joy. Having a
pet in an elderly person's life can offer them a sense of well being, a sense of
encouragement, and even a reason for living. Being responsible for another life
often gives new meaning to the lives of those who are living alone or far from
loved ones. Caring for and providing a loving home to a companion animal also
helps elderly people to remain active and stay healthy."
Gus has made Smith a believer in the power of pet
companionship. "He has changed [my life] completely. I'm sure he has added years
to my life. I have found that adopting a pet can help a person after a death of
a loved one or just being lonely. I can't imagine what it would be like without
him. I am lonely only if I have to leave him at the vet for a short time."
In addition to easing loneliness, pets may also
make seniors healthier. Studies suggest that contact with animals can lower
blood pressure. Research also indicates a link between pet ownership and an
increased survival rate for cardiac patients. Other potential health benefits
can include decreased stress, reduced bone loss, lowered cholesterol levels, and
improved blood circulation.
"For years, it's been medically documented that
companion animals—such as dogs, cats and rabbits—help people live longer and
healthier lives," says Connolly.
Taking the Next Step
Although animals make great companions for people
of any age, pets can have important benefits for seniors. But before adopting a
new companion, seniors need to understand the amount of dedication that goes
into caring for an animal. Seniors need to be sure they have the time and the
means to care for a pet, both physically and financially.
It's also important to consider the kind of pet
to adopt. Animal care professionals often advise seniors to consider adopting an
adult dog or cat. An older animal may be a better fit for their lifestyle than a
puppy or kitten.
"Unlike a puppy or kitten, adult animals are more
likely to be calm, already housetrained and less susceptible to unpredictable
behavior," says Connolly. "Older pets are often more easily physically managed
by seniors than a stronger, more excitable younger animal."
Ready, Set, Adopt
Once the decision to adopt a pet has been made
there are many programs out there to help. As more people discover the benefits
of animal companionship for older Americans, resources and programs have emerged
to make finding and keeping a new pet much easier.
The first place to which seniors should turn is
their local shelter. Adopting from a shelter has its advantages. Not only do
they have a great selection of adult animals for adoption, but they also have
purebred animals. In fact, on average, purebreds account for about 25% of a
shelter's dog population. If you have a specific breed in mind that's not
available at your local shelter, breed placement groups (often referred to as
"rescues") are also a reliable option.
Adopting from a shelter is not only a great way
to help out a homeless animal, but it's also cost-effective. Adoption fees,
which are extremely low compared with the cost of purchasing an animal from a
pet store or breeder, typically include vaccinations as well as spay or neuter
procedures.
Another advantage of shelters is that many of
them offer senior programs. The Idaho Humane Society, where Smith adopted Gus,
has placed thousands of pets with seniors through a program called Pets for
People, which waives the adoption fee, spay/neuter charge and initial
vaccination when a senior adopts an adult pet.
Check with your local shelter to see if it has a
seniors program. If not, shelters can still offer a wealth of information and
support to new pet owners.
"Was it fate that brought [Gus and I] together at
the shelter that day?" Smith wonders. Maybe the stars were aligned just right or
it was the pair's lucky day…or maybe seniors and pets are just meant to be
together.
Rebecca Simmons is the Outreach
Communications Coordinator for the Companion Animals section of The HSUS.
DACHSHUND HAVEN'S VIEW ON SENIORS AND ADULT ANIMALS
We here at Dachshund Haven of Garden Grove are advocates for
animal placements and senior citizens. Many study's conducted around the
United States and all over the world have shown that animal companions for
senior citizens can decrease stress, lower blood pressure as well as work on a
emotional and mental level to keep the senior citizen happy and healthy for
longer periods of time. We have placed several dogs with senior citizen's
over the years and will continue to do so as long as the situation fits.
Most of the time the deciding factor is the dachshunds
general attitude and bond with a person. We are strong believers in "the
right animal for the right person" way of life and placement here.
Do we believe a slightly active senior citizen, who has
trouble walking should be made responsible for a 8 week old hyperactive playful
puppy? No. In fact, in situations like that, unfortunate events can arise
through either neglect, inability or naivete on the senior citizen's part.
We recently had to put a puppy to sleep due to breeder's neglect/elderly owner
neglect/elderly owner inability or naivete. Read about "Miracle" on
the
In Memoriam and Coping with the
Death of a Pet.
We don't want to point fingers, because that is not the point
of this page. It is really to just make people aware of the situations that we
see here in rescue and of the situations that we are trying to avoid in the
future.
Do senior citizen's deserve companionship that a adopted
dachshund can give. ABSOLUTELY!
We get on the average of 10 emails a month from different
people looking to adopt a 6 month old puppy or 1 or 2 year old dog for their
"active mother or father, grandma, grandpa, friend, neighbor etc" who are in
their early 70's and 80's and have had to politely tell people that it was not
an ideal situation to put a puppy in. Many people take offense to it and
often people are turned off to adoption because of it.
Do we believe a slightly inactive senior citizen would do well
with a 5 to 12 year old dachshund who wants to be a lap dog. Yes!
If that 5 to 12 year old dachshund wants to run around, play
and has so much energy that it plays like a puppy and has the demands of the
puppy most of the time, does that dog belong with an inactive senior?
Probably not.
Does that active 5 to 12 year old dog belong with an active
senior that has no problems walking and can take it on short walks around the
neighborhood or the park? Yes!
Are there exceptions to these rules? Absolutely!
Please note that most exceptions to the rule include family
members that are willing to care for a younger animal if and when something
happens to an older owner. Unfortunately this a rare situation.
To
many people this may seem logical. What a lot of people are not totally
aware of is that many of our rescue dogs end up in rescue due to the fact that
family members don't want to care for their loved one's pets or can't care for
their loved one's pets after someone passes away or even when someone gets sick
and is placed in the hospital for an extended period of time.
Whatever a individual situation may be, our goal here at
rescue is to keep these little ones out of kill shelters and in the most
permanent stable environment as possible.
MORE TO COME...
