“Just like sunshine and vitamins, pets are just plain healthy for seniors. They are that spark plug to getting out among friends, keeping fit, and just making a senior’s day better.” Ed Kane, PhD
According to many, many studies, seniors who have a dog go the doctor less often with minor illnesses, have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels than their counterpart non-pet owning seniors. The senior/pet companionship provides a motivation to be more involved in socializing and in daily activities.
There are other intangible benefits to a senior owning a dog. First of all, when a senior receives a new dog they will often read up on the breed or the rescue organization. This reading and research provides stimulation. Secondly, as Caesar Millan has said so many times, “dogs live in the present.” This is so helpful with senior’s learning how to live in the here and now, instead of worrying about tomorrow, which can be very scary to the elderly. Thirdly, and most of all, pets provide companionship and reduce loneliness and depression. Pets also help seniors to focus on something other than their physical ailments and have helped the elderly to rev up on old memories of pets in their youth.
We, at The Kabb Law Firm, advocate pairing the elderly with rescue dogs. For the dogs, it is like going from the pits to paradise for they will be coming from a life of rejection, the unknown and possible abuse, and will be going to a place where someone loving and caring is always at home with them. For the senior, it is like a sudden shower of warmth and love and companionship has rained down on them.
At The Kabb Law Firm, office visitors love petting Jake, our Black Lab rescue dog. He is a welcoming part of The Kabb Law family!
If you ask a senior to tell you the benefit of owning a pet, he will most definitely list the following:
95% said, “I talk to my pet all the time.”
82% said, “The pet helps me when I feel sad.”
72% said, “The pet helps when I physically feel bad.”
65% said, “Touching my pet makes me feel better.”
57% said, “I confide in my pet.”
Besides the obvious benefits of pet ownership, dogs can even be trained to detect cancer, low blood sugar, and seizures.
Although it is of the utmost importance to perfectly match a senior dog with a senior citizen, it is not an impossible task. For more information on rescue groups that specialize in matching, contact The Kabb Law Firm at 216-991-KABB (5222).
