ADOPTING A SENIOR PET FOR A SENIOR IN NEED

There is no friendship like the friendship between a man and his dog.

The way they literally become members of the family and most importantly, lift you up on your toughest days is one of the reasons why adopting a dog is a perfect idea for any senior, family, and even caregiver that works with elderly clients.

Despite the impressive recent push for adopting, not “buying” an animal such as a dog or cat, senior and elderly dogs struggle to find lifelong homes the most. The animals, although well-behaved, calm, and affectionate aren’t the perfect candidates for adoption and may feel the same way that seniors may feel: lonely and singled out because of their age.

While the saying does go, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, an old dog may change your life for the better and help you find a new purpose to live. Here are some ways of adopting an older furry friend can inspire joy and a newfound appreciation for life!

Big hearts, small bodies

A senior dog may be far from their puppy days, but that doesn’t mean they’ve run out of a need for cuddling and sharing every minute of your day together. Dogs, like most animals, have an innate ability to care for and in turn, bring great joy to their owners’ lives. Your pet won’t care if you’ve have a bad day at work, haven’t been feeling your best. Rather, they’ll make it their mission to greet you as if you’ve been away for weeks, to remind you to get up and play, and to lick your face whenever they get the chance.

Animal Therapy

Pet-assisted therapy is becoming a widely popular technique for relieving stress and even aiding seniors who suffer from mental illness. While you could explore investing in such sessions for yourself or a loved one with “therapy dogs”, motivate your family to consider adopting a senior pet. Studies have shown that dog owners have lower blood pressure, and find it easier to stay active with their dog, thanks to through daily walks, or even throwing their favorite toy to fetch.

Superhero Senses

Given their innate sense of smell, brave dogs go through training to aid TSA and law enforcement teams in fighting crime each and every day. There are even studies claiming that given their heightened ability to sniff out and hunt, and reactions to changes in weather, dogs can sense changes to the human body such as lowered blood sugar, cancer and assist and call for help in dire moments like seizures or heart attacks. While some dogs can be trained to do all of the above, it never hurts to have such a loyal friend by your side to protect you or your loved one in case of any emergency.

Interested in finding a forever friend for your loved one? Join us at Forever in My Heart Jewelry’s Annual Charity Gala  and visit our website before

 and after the event on September 24th to find out how we can help you sponsor a senior pet in need, and even win animal therapy sessions!