Aging Pet Owners
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The Pets Of Aging Owners Are At Risk Of Neglect And Abandonment
Our pets keep us company, entertain and comfort us, bring us joy, protect us and even provide physical and emotional health benefits. Most of us have experienced the loss of a pet through death or other circumstances - but imagine losing the ability to care for a beloved pet because you can barely care for yourself.
As a society, we are very concerned with the abuse and neglect of animals, but the plight of pets belonging to the aging is rarely talked about. I wasn't aware of how widespread the problem is until I began working closely with the aging population as a hospice social worker. I brought a little (well, 75 pounds of "little") bonus home from work with me about two years ago when her owners had to move into a nursing home. My Lab-Shepherd mix, Blondie, is the pup in the photos and video.
Illness can strike any of us at any time but we're more at risk as we age. Heart attacks, strokes and broken bones often turn vibrant senior citizens into disabled or completely incapacitated adults overnight. Long-term conditions that have been manageable for some time can quickly become completely unmanageable. Normal problems with memory or elderly dementia may leave an individual unable to manage their own affairs or even remember simple and necessary tasks, such as eating. And nearly every day, I see an obituary for a baby boomer, some younger than I am.
In dog or cat years, many pets are almost as old as their owners and have been a member of the family since they were kittens or puppies. It is understandable that people do not want to part with their pets even when they realize that caring for them has become difficult or impossible.
In addition to losing the ability to walk or play with their pets, most of our elderly population are on fixed incomes and cannot afford veterinary care. Older pets are especially vulnerable to the effects of medical neglect.
Every day, hundreds of elderly people are admitted into nursing homes or pass away. When firm arrangements have not been made in advance for placement of pets or when those who have agreed to help fail to follow through (sad, but it happens), they frequently end up abandoned or in shelters.
Displaced pets are also at risk of "emotional" damage. I brought my dog, Blondie, home on a Friday and enjoyed a beautiful weekend with her. When Monday arrived and I left for work, she went ballistic. She cried, knocked over everything on the front porch, tore the screen off the storm door and dug holes under the fence to get out. Each day when I came home, I either found her in a neighbor's yard or a neighbor reported that they had put her back in my yard. Since I had cats and they hadn't yet formed a pack, I couldn't leave her in the house while I was gone. I didn't want to tie her up or put her in a cage or even a large pen. Her former home had been on 22 acres where she was allowed to roam free. I took the advice of "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan.
If you've ever watched his television show, you may have noticed that Cesar's answer to nearly every dog behavior issue is that the owner must walk their dog. Period. I began walking her twice a day, every day. On the tenth day, I came home to find her in her own yard and she never left again. I've continued the practice and we both enjoy it. Of course, walking is good for me, too.
I realized that her separation anxiety was related to more than adjusting to a new home and a new owner. Blondie was literally grieving her former owners.
Eldercare professionals are finding that the most serious disease for older persons isn't cancer or broken hips. It's reported that a more serious threat to their physical and emotional health is loneliness. Searches for "pets and the elderly" on three search engines yielded dozens of sites dealing with the benefits of pet therapy for the elderly and one for professional pet sitting services.
Few services exist that can help aging owners care for their pets. Most charge a fee and even the most reasonable fee can be a hardship for someone on a fixed income. Food, housing and medical expenses must take priority over pet care.
As a society, we are very concerned with the abuse and neglect of animals, but the plight of pets belonging to the aging is rarely talked about. I wasn't aware of how widespread the problem is until I began working closely with the aging population as a hospice social worker. I brought a little (well, 75 pounds of "little") bonus home from work with me about two years ago when her owners had to move into a nursing home. My Lab-Shepherd mix, Blondie, is the pup in the photos and video.
Illness can strike any of us at any time but we're more at risk as we age. Heart attacks, strokes and broken bones often turn vibrant senior citizens into disabled or completely incapacitated adults overnight. Long-term conditions that have been manageable for some time can quickly become completely unmanageable. Normal problems with memory or elderly dementia may leave an individual unable to manage their own affairs or even remember simple and necessary tasks, such as eating. And nearly every day, I see an obituary for a baby boomer, some younger than I am.
In dog or cat years, many pets are almost as old as their owners and have been a member of the family since they were kittens or puppies. It is understandable that people do not want to part with their pets even when they realize that caring for them has become difficult or impossible.
In addition to losing the ability to walk or play with their pets, most of our elderly population are on fixed incomes and cannot afford veterinary care. Older pets are especially vulnerable to the effects of medical neglect.
Every day, hundreds of elderly people are admitted into nursing homes or pass away. When firm arrangements have not been made in advance for placement of pets or when those who have agreed to help fail to follow through (sad, but it happens), they frequently end up abandoned or in shelters.
Displaced pets are also at risk of "emotional" damage. I brought my dog, Blondie, home on a Friday and enjoyed a beautiful weekend with her. When Monday arrived and I left for work, she went ballistic. She cried, knocked over everything on the front porch, tore the screen off the storm door and dug holes under the fence to get out. Each day when I came home, I either found her in a neighbor's yard or a neighbor reported that they had put her back in my yard. Since I had cats and they hadn't yet formed a pack, I couldn't leave her in the house while I was gone. I didn't want to tie her up or put her in a cage or even a large pen. Her former home had been on 22 acres where she was allowed to roam free. I took the advice of "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan.
If you've ever watched his television show, you may have noticed that Cesar's answer to nearly every dog behavior issue is that the owner must walk their dog. Period. I began walking her twice a day, every day. On the tenth day, I came home to find her in her own yard and she never left again. I've continued the practice and we both enjoy it. Of course, walking is good for me, too.I realized that her separation anxiety was related to more than adjusting to a new home and a new owner. Blondie was literally grieving her former owners.
Eldercare professionals are finding that the most serious disease for older persons isn't cancer or broken hips. It's reported that a more serious threat to their physical and emotional health is loneliness. Searches for "pets and the elderly" on three search engines yielded dozens of sites dealing with the benefits of pet therapy for the elderly and one for professional pet sitting services.
Few services exist that can help aging owners care for their pets. Most charge a fee and even the most reasonable fee can be a hardship for someone on a fixed income. Food, housing and medical expenses must take priority over pet care.
Become A Guardian Angel For A Pet And Its Aging Owner
Ideas For Helping Aging Owners And Their Pets
Chances are that there is someone in your neighborhood or even in your family in this situation who needs and would appreciate help but may not necessarily ask for it. For dogs, an obvious sign would be that the pet stays outside day and night with little or no interaction from its owner. More subtle signs would be a noticeable deterioration in the health of your neighbor or family member or pet odors and droppings in the home. A more alarming signal is a sick animal in need of medical attention.The first step in helping requires a little courage if you don't know the owner well. Break the ice by stopping by to visit "neighbor to neighbor." Before visiting, have a plan as to what you can do to help. Be sure it's something that fits with your schedule and abilities so that you are comfortable in making a commitment. Don't offer to walk the dog if you're not sure how you are going to fit it in. It might make more sense to offer to help with grooming, clean the yard, change the litter box or do some light housekleeping. You could just ask permission to visit the pet several times a week and give it some attention. Remember that people in need of help are usually thrilled with and appreciative of any gesture, even if it seems too small to you. Casually bring up the pet as a topic but don't mention your concerns. For instance, remark about how cute he or she is and let the owner sing their praises and stories. This should leave the conversation open to making your offer of help. Be prepared to be rejected at first. Folks who are dealing with their increasing loss of independence are often stubborn about accepting help. The elderly are often distrustful, which is understandable given the number of crimes committed against the aged each year and the contrast between the world they grew up in and what's going on today.
Ideally, signing up as a volunteer with an animal welfare or eldercare agency that will allow you to provide these services through their volunteer program can protect both of you. Often, eldercare agencies can connect the pet owner with other services they may be eligible for.
If a nonprofit agency isn't able to work with you in this area, you may want to establish your own service. Pet service providers such as pet groomers, doggy day care centers or veterinarians may be interested in working with you or helping you promote your service. You can offer services for free or for a nominal fee to cover your expenses. Family members are sometimes willing to cover these costs.
If you plan to work independently, find out what you need to do to meet your state and county's requirements. My county offers a free small business orientation and workshop quarterly. If you are going to visit people in their homes and care for their property, it's a good idea to undergo a background check, obtain another proof of identity in addition to your driver's license and references. If you provide services in your home, your homeowner's insurance might cover unintended mishaps.
If you are considering assisted living for an aging parent or loved one who should no longer live alone and has a pet, find out whether the facility offers assistance. Most do not. Assisted living facilities require that the person be able to care for themselves at a specific level, so those that allow pets also expect the resident to be able to care for them on their own. Another idea for helping might be to offer your services through a facility. If you're unable to do that, you might be able to suggest that they add these services by speaking to them directly, writing an editorial for your local newspaper or working with an animal rights or protection agency.
Veterinary expenses can become very difficult for the elderly or disabled to meet, especially now that the current recession is in full swing. Shots and preventive treatment such as heartworm medication for dogs simply may not be in the budget. More severe conditions such as hip dysplasia and cataracts are very treatable but not easily affordable. Pain and discomfort damage a pet's quality of life. Local animal welfare, eldercare agencies and other nonprofits are likely to welcome an offer of conducting a fundraiser to raise animal medical expenses for the elderly and disabled. Bake sales, garage sales and craft fairs always do very well. Veterinarians and pet stores may be willing to donate vaccines, treatment or money. Let the nonprofit or other private or public agency worry about handling the funds according to law and just have fun with these activities.
Another idea is to contact your local paper or television news station and ask them to do a story or a series of stories about this issue, stressing the importance of making provisions for our pets in the event that something happens to the owner. This is good advice for all generations. Perhaps you could team up with your local animal shelter to recruit dog and cat foster parents to care for pets who might end up homeless if their owners pass away or need to move into a nursing facility - or even hold a fundraiser to expand shelters to accomodate these special pets.
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The Society was formed to alleviate the injustices animals faced then, and we continue to battle cruelty today. Whether it's saving a pet who has been accidentally poisoned, fighting to pass humane laws, rescuing animals from abuse or sharing resources wi
Links and Resources
Helpful links and resources for pets and their friends. Use these services, donate and volunteer. These are mainly national resources and can usually refer you to local resources. Research under your specific state for local agencies and specific services available in your area.
- National Association of Professional Pet Sitters
- NAPPS is the source for everything animal owners need to know about hiring a pet sitter, including online and toll-free phone pet sitter locator services.
- Become An ASPCA Guardian
- Help the ASPCA create a reliable income stream and receive fewer fundraising appeals.
- National Humane Society
- oin the National Humane Society In The Fight Against Animal Cruelty
- Spay USA
- SPAY/USA, a program of North Shore Animal League America, is a nationwide network and referral service for affordable spay/neuter services.
- Petco Foundation
- In February, 1999, the PETCO Foundation was established to promote a wide variety of educational and charitable activities nationwide by partnering with approximately 5,700 local animal welfare organizations at the grassroots level. Since then, the PETCO Foundation has raised more than $49 million through a combination of fundraisers including Tree of Hope, Spring A Pet, Round Up and KIND News. In addition, the PETCO Foundation is always prepared to launch immediate fundraising efforts in the case of natural disasters and emergencies.
The PETCO Foundation is also responsible for coordinating the donation of in-kind goods and services. Find out how your organization can benefit from our fundraising efforts. - PetSmart Charities
- A lifelong, loving home for every pet. Saving homeless pets' lives. That's the heart and soul of everything we do. Through our adoption centers alone, we help save one life every minute they are open. In addition, all the programs we create and animal welfare agencies we support help to end euthanasia while promoting healthy relationships between people and pets.
- Animal People Online Magazine
- ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide. Founded in 1992, ANIMAL PEOPLE has no alignment or affiliation with any other entity.
- 1-800-Save-A-Pet.com
- See dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and more
Find a humane society, animal shelter or SPCA
Adoption saves pets! Adopt a dog or adopt a cat! - Save Our Strays
- What is Save Our Strays? What Does SOS Do?
A nonprofit no-kill animal organization since 1999 (although work began much earlier)
A total volunteer organization operation under the direction of a Board of Directors.
Funding is obtained primarily from personal donations, a part-time SOS thrift store, yearly silent auctions and seasonal garage sales
Not all of our cats are feral cats. In fact, many of our cats are house cats who were abandoned by their owners or whose owners passed away.
Volunteers love to feed, transport, clean, trap, find homes, and work the thrift store. (This web site was donated and is kept updated by a volunteer!) Volunteers work 7 days a week (rain, snow, freezing cold, sweltering heat) and into every night. These animals must be cared for every day...not matter what else is happening in our lives. This requires a very unique and dedicated love for animals!
SOS receives over 100 calls every week from people seeking assistance for distressed animals.
Advocates of the Trap-Neuter-Return program (for more info, see Alley Cat Allies)
Over 850 animals have found either permanent or foster homes.
Over 750 animals have received medical attention.
Over 350 animals are fed and cared for every day. - Humane Alliance
- Our mission is to provide the non-lethal solution to the homeless, abandoned, and feral animal populations so that euthanasia is no longer an acceptable means of population control .
- Feral Cat Coalition
- Many people assume their animals will survive when they move away and leave them behind. Contrary to popular belief, domestic animals do not automatically return to their "natural" instincts and cannot fend for themselves! Already, U.S. animal shelters are forced to kill an estimated 15 million homeless cats and dogs annually. The alternative to humane euthanasia for almost every stray is a violent end or slow, painful death. Many "throwaways" die mercilessly outdoors from starvation, disease, abuse --- or as food to a predator.
A pair of breeding cats, which can have two or more litters per year, can exponentially produce 420,000 offspring over a seven-year period, And the overpopulation problem carries a hefty price tag. Statewide, more than $50 million (largely from taxes) is spent by animal control agencies and shelters for cat-related expenses.
In response to this staggering problem, the Feral Cat Coalition was formed by Sally Mackler and Rochelle Brinton DVM. The FCC is an organization that traps and spays/neuters feral cats, then returns them to their caretakers. This service is provided to the community at no cost by licensed veterinarians and volunteers with one goal in mind: reducing the enormous number of homeless, unwanted cats. - FIREPAW
- The Foundation for Interdisciplinary Research and Education Promoting Animal Welfare.
"Animals already get it. We teach people." - The Alliance For Contraception In Cats and Dogs
- The world's only website and nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering non-surgical methods to control the animal population.
- American Animal Hospital Association - AAHA Helping Pets Fund
- Despite the support of many generous donors, the AAHA Helping Pets Fund is struggling with the number of requests for assistance that the country's economic difficulties have created. We need your help if we are to continue to provide grants.
Please donate today and help provide veterinary treatment to pets in need. Every donation truly makes a difference for struggling families and their beloved pets. - Alley Cat Allies
- Alley Cat Allies is committed to advocating for an end to the killing of cats, leading the movement for change, and protecting the rights of cats-and the people who care for them. Get informed about the issues impacting cats and what you can do to make a difference.
- Small Business Association
- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.
- Assistance Dogs International
- Assistance Dogs International, Inc. is a coalition of not for profit organizations that train and place Assistance Dogs. The purpose of ADI is to improve the areas of training, placement, and utilization of Assistance Dogs as well as staff and volunteer education.
- Edercare.gov
- Local information and referral, find community based services and more.
- Caring Connections
- Caring Connections, a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), is a national consumer and community engagement initiative to improve care at the end of life, supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
- NCPEA
- National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.
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I've learned so much about understanding my dog just by watching Cesar's show. In addition to helping Blondie get through her separation anxiety, I was also able to "rehabilitate" the high-energy stray that my son adopted shortly before he was deployed to Kuwait. Cesar's way is so simple - and it works.
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ParthenaB
Aug 13, 2009 @ 3:03 am | in reply to Caringmom | delete
- Thanks for stopping by! Of course you have my support for your wonderful idea and your sweet spirit! Thanks for the compliment, too! I'm writing part time for the local paper and I am SO excited about that!
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ParthenaB
Aug 13, 2009 @ 2:53 am | in reply to ArtByLinda | delete
- Thanks so much for your visit, Linda! I really loved the pet costumes! Blondie is a very patient dog but I'm not sure how long she'd keep something on & as I mentioned, XL doggy clothes are hard to find! She could probably wear some of my t-shirts at 85 lbs. Keep writing & loving the animals.
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ArtByLinda Aug 10, 2009 @ 11:01 pm | delete
- Hi Parthena, thank you so much for your comments on my dog halloween costumes, they are so hilarious. So your dog asked you to wear a tail? That is funny! This is a wonderful lens, and so important. You have brought attention to a very important and often neglected thing, the elderly and their pets. Wonderful lens! Linda
PS: Thank you for the lensroll, I am going to lensroll yours too, if that button will load...for some reason it is not showing. Going now to refresh and see. Take care!
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Caringmom
Jul 27, 2009 @ 9:08 pm | delete
- Hello Diva!!!
Thanks so much for your life long support. Just started back working on the watches so many other things required my attention. I'm now back working and pushing my product hoping to get the much needed help I need to move forward. Love this new lens...you have the gift of writting..... that's for sure! Hope and pray all is going well with you also. See you soon!! ~hugs~peace~love~
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Caringmom
Jul 27, 2009 @ 9:08 pm | delete
- Hello Diva!!!
Thanks so much for your life long support. Just started back working on the watches so many other things required my attention. I'm now back working and pushing my product hoping to get the much needed help I need to move forward. Love this new lens...you have the gift of writting..... that's for sure! Hope and pray all is going well with you also. See you soon!! ~hugs~peace~love~
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by ParthenaB
ParthenaB
Hi, I'm Parthena Black and I'm a writer, polymer clay artist and designer of wire sculpted jewelry. I had never seen myself as a creative person until... more »
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