When one family’s grandfather became increasingly despondent following the passing of his wife of many years, the family sent out an SOS to a Tracy-based organization called SSS (Seniors Saving Seniors).
The nonprofit dog adoption organization came to the rescue, helping the family find just the right canine companion.
“We received a nice note letting us know how much Maley (a lovable but homeless schnauzer) has brought to Grandpa’s life,” says Shell Downing, who, along with longtime best friend Crista O’Hara, started the dog rescue-adoption organization last March.
“The two are inseparable and both Maley and her new owner have someone to love and take care of.”
According to findings published by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, companion animals are like little, furry health-care providers. A study by the State University of New York at Buffalo found that people with hypertension who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than those who did not have a pet.
That same study — called Between Pets and People: The Importance of Animal Companionship — showed that pets help people fight depression and loneliness and promote an interest in life.
Pets also seem to promote an interest in keeping healthy, says another study. The National Institute of Health Technology Assessment Workshop: Health Benefit of Pets reveals that people with pets actually make fewer trips to the doctor, especially for non-serious medical problems.
A recent survey by the American Pet Products group suggests that people improve their physical and mental health when they get animal companions. More than 88 percent of respondents ages 55 to 64 answered ‘yes’ when asked if pets make their family or home life healthier, either emotionally or physically.
Downing is a big believer that dogs are good for people — especially older people.
“It’s not only senior people saving senior dogs, it’s senior dogs saving senior people, too,” Downing says, explaining that the pairing of older people with mature dogs is usually a good match. Seniors, she notes, “seem to really have the love and compassion to reach out to these homeless pets,” and older dogs are commonly more mellow and don’t engage in the high jinks associated with puppyhood.
“We deal with people who have lost spouses and are lonely,” Downing says. “The pet is someone to care for and sit with. People tell us, ‘Now I have someone to walk with and watch TV with me.’ Pets, with their unconditional love, are very helpful, and the seniors appreciate them.”
More people — of all ages — seem to be discovering the benefits of pet ownership. According to the American Pet Products group’s 2001-2002 National Pet Owners Survey, 62 percent of U.S. households include pets. That’s up almost 2 percent from 1998 — and up 6 percent from 1988, when the organization started the annual survey.
And of the pet owners questioned for the most recent survey, 94 percent of dog owners and 91 percent of cat owners cited companionship, love, company and affection as benefits gained from having pets. Fifty-three percent of dog owners and 38 percent of cat owners also indicated they believe their pets are good for their health or their family’s health.
At Seniors Saving Seniors, Downing and O’Hara have placed 55 pets, and only two have been returned — one of those because the new owner ended up having to move to a nursing facility that didn’t allow pets.
“By carefully matching seniors to the dog that’s best for them, we set up our adoptions for the best possible results,” Downing says. “It’s very rewarding when people say we’ve changed their lives.”