Pet companionship important for older adults in Greater Victoria

As people enter their golden years, it can be a great time to add companionship to life in the form of a furry friend.

Maybe you are still flexible and active and looking for a pet to take for walks. Perhaps you are looking more for a quiet companion who provides a gentle presence.

As you get older, there are important things to consider if you want to bring a four-legged friend into your life, but there are also many benefits.

Elain Genser recently lost her 16-year-old canine companion Jakob and is now actively looking for an older dog. For her, the huge hole in her life left by the loss only further illustrates the benefits of having a pet.

“The fact that I live alone, that I wake up in the morning, have someone to talk to, to say good morning. Jakob had slowed down a bit in recent years and was mostly sleeping, but he was there. It’s just another presence… It’s company.”

Having a dog also helps her socialize and find the motivation to take daily walks.

“If you have a nice dog, people will stop to pet your dog and talk to you. And so many people who have lost their dog or can’t get a dog are the ones who usually want to stop and talk.

Without a dog at the moment, Genser had the opportunity to meet the 14-year-old Labradoodle through ElderDog Canada, a national, registered charity that provides loving homes (through foster care or adoption) for older dogs who have lost a human companion. The volunteer-based organization also assists and supports older adults in the care and well-being of their canine companions, including exercise, dog food delivery, transportation and more.

“You know, look at this sweet dog. He is so sweet. They have been unable to find him a permanent home. I do not know why. Probably because of his age,” Genser said.

While Genser ultimately decides not to adopt the dog, he is successfully adopted the following weekend.

“(ElderDog Canada) are very helpful in every way. They also take in dogs if the senior ends up in the hospital for a short period of time, and they provide the shelter,” Genser said, adding that most of the volunteers who help her live nearby. “It helps me enormously as an older person. I know that if anything happens, my dog ​​will be taken care of.”

ElderDog is just one of many organizations offering volunteering, fostering and adoption opportunities in Victoria.

There are also shelters, such as Victoria Animal Center, that can match one to the right fit and provide helpful advice. Below are some starter tips to get someone on the right path.

To adopt or not to adopt

Before deciding whether or not to adopt, it’s important to consider the energy and care required for different types, temperaments, and ages of dogs. No one should adopt a dog that is beyond their capabilities.

Emma Hamill, manager of Victoria Animal Centre, said the most important consideration when connecting people with pets is whether the animal is the best fit in terms of lifestyle. When applying for a pet, people have the best chance if they apply for animals that match in terms of lifestyle, medical needs and exercise.

“If he is a super active person who goes for a walk or is out and about every day, then a dog with more energy may suit him well. Whereas if they are more homebound and have difficulty with mobility, an older animal that is happy to hang out at home a little longer may suit them better,” she said.

Hamill gave her mother-in-law as an example. She was active and in her 70s with a younger dog named Scout. She wanted to find an animal that would both be a good fit for Scout and be more of a lap dog.

“And then they found Piper, a middle-aged Chihuahua. And so she was able to meet both Scout’s and my mother-in-law’s needs; a companion and playmate for Scout and the lap dog my mother-in-law wanted so much.”

It’s also important to consider the challenge of finding a place to live that is pet-friendly, Genser added. As a pet owner, she said being a dog owner has been the biggest challenge, especially after she was laid off. Fortunately, she found a landlord who she describes as “great”, but she urges people to consider this before making a decision.

The good news is that retired adopters can often spend more time with a pet and become the pet’s true best friend.

The benefits of nurturing

When you decide to bring a pet home, it’s good to remember that there are options other than adoption.

Joanne Thibault, a longtime volunteer at Cat’s Cradle Animal Rescue, said fostering is ideal if you want the company of a pet to love and care for, but can only house them for a shorter period of time. A few examples of this are hibernators, who spent their winters elsewhere or helped prepare the animal for a permanent home.

What makes foster care important is that it provides an essential link between rescue and adoption, allowing an animal to relax and experience a home environment. Some animals in the foster program may also need to recover from a medical procedure or be given daily medication.

Fostering can also be a way to test your pet ownership and can lead to lasting love. It happened to Thibault when she first met her foster cat, a blue-eyed Siamese girl.

“Within a hundredth of a nanosecond, I became what is known in the foster volunteer world as a ‘foster failure.’ I immediately applied to adopt this little girl,” she said.

But Thibault has not adopted all the animals she has adopted and said people should not worry about being sad when the animal has to go to its new home.

“I never in a million years expected that volunteering with foster parents would be so rewarding and joyful. It’s such a beautiful feeling to know that the love and care I gave to a cat went towards equipping it so it could find a beautiful new home. Instead of feeling sad, I feel so excited for the cat and its brand new life,” she said.

Seniors adopt seniors

Another option you can consider is adopting or fostering an older pet.

“For seniors, how long we will be able to love and care for a pet is a consideration,” Thibault said. “Now that COVID-19 is behind us, I can say that there are many adult and senior pets in need of new homes. It is a wonderful opportunity for pet and owner to share our final years together.”

Older pets have many advantages, including that they are already house-trained, their personalities are fully developed (so what you see is what you get) and they are also less likely to engage in destructive behavior, says Hamill of Victoria Animal Center. .

“The older dogs I adopted came from environments where they were neglected. And so you can see how grateful they are. In a way it gives them the best pension.”