Pets make wonderful companions. They are not only with you but they have proven to be great emotional support. Many senior citizens find it comforting to have a furry friend around when they are living alone or caring for a sick partner.
But owning a pet can be a financial burden that not all seniors can afford. Instead of doing the unthinkable, giving up their pet, some elderly people skip meals to make sure their pets have food. Many senior citizens are on fixed incomes, causing them to make difficult financial decisions including forgoing essential medications and feeding their pets.
Programs like Meals on Wheels ensure that older individuals eat at least one hot meal a day, and it’s free of charge. Meals on Wheels is a national program that reduces hunger among seniors while also helping to provide seniors living alone with human contact.
Recently, Meals on Wheels in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, began to include an addition to their program—pet food. Elder Services of Berkshire County, which provides meals for seniors, has partnered with the Berkshire Humane Society and Berkshire Family & Individual Resources (BFAIR) to start a pet assistance program for food recipients according to iBerkshires.com .
The Berkshire County Meals on Wheels program will deliver pet food once a month to elderly program members who cannot go to the store. Since many of the people who receive food from the food program are on fixed incomes, there is also the possibility that some of the members cannot afford to buy pet food even if they can go to the store.
Elder Services Community Services Director Kayla Brown-Wood told iBerkshire, “I think most people will feed their pets before they feed themselves. So, this helps reduce that from happening. It’s just a great partnership and the idea is to help people who may not have the means to come here and visit the emergency pet food bank at the Berkshire Humane Society. So, this is just one way to help bridge that gap and that need in the community. “
Photo by Donna Cecaci on Unsplash
Black and brown dog with a long coat with an old man
The national Meals on Wheels organization also helps seniors keep their pets at home by partnering with PetSmart Charities. The partnership has “helped more than 25,000 Meals on Wheels clients stay at home and with their beloved companions,” according to the Meals on Wheels website.
They never stop helping to provide food for people and their pets. Meals on Wheels helps support local programs that provide pet food, grooming services as well as veterinary services to the animals of senior citizens who may not be able to afford it otherwise.
Meals on Wheels says, “97% of pet assistance clients say Meals on Wheels made it possible for them to keep their loving companion, according to our research with partner PetSmart Charities.”
The partnership between Meals on Wheels and PetSmart Charities ensures that seniors’ pets have the things they need, such as cat litter, nail trims, free boarding and even transportation to the vet. Pets become part of your family, and for homebound seniors, their Meals on Wheels delivery person and their pet may be the only interaction they receive. It’s great to see that this important program doesn’t forget about the companion animals that live with the seniors they serve.
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