Senior Care News

October is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month

Senior Care in Gainesville GA

October is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month and was established as a way to help homeless dogs find their forever homes. These furry pets are not only adorable and loyal to their owners, but can also be beneficial for older adults. Having a dog has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, increase physical activities, and give seniors a new purpose in life.

These pets may be able to bring joy and a number of health benefits to your loved one’s life, but what happens if the senior is unable to have a dog? With the help of an elderly care provider, there are still plenty of ways your elderly loved one can help shelter dogs without adopting them.

  • Make a donation. Animal shelters are not only in need of monetary donations, but could also use supplies. Encourage the elder to call their local animal shelter to find out what supplies they would like people to donate. If they have flyers, help your loved one place these flyers around their neighborhood in order to help increase the amount of donations the animal shelter receives.
  • Volunteer with other family members. Volunteering is a great way to help better the lives of these shelter dogs without adopting them. The shelter may need help feeding the animals, cleaning up after them, or even walking the dogs. The senior should talk to the younger generations in their family about why it is important to volunteer at places like this. Even better, have the grandchildren and other family members volunteer with your loved one in order to see firsthand how important it is to help.
  • Share it on social media. Does your elderly loved one have a Facebook or Twitter account? If so, they can share that it is Adopt-a-Shelter-Dog Month. They can also post a link to the website of their local animal shelter in order to bring more attention to local dogs that are in need of homes.
  • Become a foster parent. If your aging parent is able to, they can be a foster parent of a dog until the animal shelter is able to find adoptive parents. Dogs are a huge responsibility because they need to be fed, walked, and bathed. If this is something your loved one is not able to do, you or other family members should help the elder as much as possible. You may even want to consider having the dog live at your home and having the senior come over to help care for it.

 

With these tips, your elderly loved one will be able to help out shelter dogs without the added responsibility of adopting one themselves.

 

The staff at Home Care Matters is available to talk with you and your family about all of your needs. Home Care Matters is a home care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in Gainesville, GA and the surrounding areas. Call (678) 828-2195 for more information.

 

Valerie Darling

Recent Posts

Categories

Contact Us About Home Care

Skip to content