Happy Birthday Ozzie!

My Smartphone popped up a reminder first thing Monday morning that it was Ozzie’s birthday so I immediately sent a text to my son to remind him to thank his wife.

So here’s the story. Eleven years ago my son bred his pure-bred boxer, Macy, to a friend who had another purebred boxer male named Samson. With a little help from the Vet she must have double conceived because she birthed 13 pups. At $400 a pup my son thought he had struck it rich! But my daughter-in-law, who was just a week away from giving birth to our granddaughter, her first, and now would have 14 mouths to nurse, had other thoughts, some of which weren’t so kind toward my son and his sense of timing. He was literally in the doghouse!

Over the next few weeks as they sold the pups one by one, I could feel my heart sinking. Finally, there were two left, a male and a female. We did a “trial adoption” in our home for a few days. That sealed it for Ozzie, the cutest boxer puppy you’ve ever seen in your life (no prejudice here of course); he was now officially a part of the Milby household.

Pets for seniors

Because Ozzie added so much to our family over the next eight years, it got me thinking about pets for seniors. There are actually several helpful web sites on the internet. According to the Humane Society of the US, www.hsus.org, “Pets can bring new meaning and purpose to the life of a senior who is living far away from friends or family. Having a pet in an elderly person’s life can offer them a sense of well being, a sense of encouragement, and even a reason for living.

Being responsible for another life often gives new meaning to the lives of those who are living alone or far from loved ones. Caring for and providing a loving home to a companion animal also helps elderly people to remain active and stay healthy.” The site even goes on to talk about possible health benefits for seniors being linked to pets…..

“In addition to easing loneliness, pets may also make seniors healthier. Studies suggest that contact with animals can lower blood pressure. Research also indicates a link between pet ownership and an increased survival rate for cardiac patients. Other potential health benefits can include decreased stress, reduced bone loss, lowered cholesterol levels, and improved blood circulation.” Almost sounds like the Humane Society is in competition with the local pharmacy doesn’t it?

Think you Might Want to Adopt a Pet?

The first place to which seniors should turn is the local animal shelter. Adopting from a shelter has its advantages. Not only do they have a great selection of adult animals for adoption, but they also have pure-bred animals. In fact, on average, pure-breds account for about 25 percent of a shelter’s dog population.

Adopting from a shelter is not only a great way to help a homeless animal, but it’s also cost-effective. Adoption fees, which are extremely low compared with the cost of purchasing an animal from a pet store or breeder, typically include vaccinations as well as spay or neuter procedures.

Another advantage of shelters is that many of them offer senior programs. Check with your local shelter to see if it has a senior’s program. Even if they don’t, shelters can still offer a wealth of information and support to new pet owners.

If you do decide to adopt a pet, I hope you can find one who will bring as much pleasure as Ozzie has to the Milby household!

PS- Ozzie is now buried next to his mother, Macy under a big pecan tree on the farm. Their names are burned into a wooden cross attached to the tree with Ozzie’s collar and dog tag hanging on it. If that all sounds a bit much for you I highly recommend you rent or download the movie MARLEY AND ME. You’ll be hard pressed to find a movie that will make you laugh as hard and tear up as much as that one.

Thanks for reading All About Seniors…..see you next week!

Bill Milby, CSA, is a Certified Senior Advisor and a Director of Visiting Angels® of Macon, a non-medical, living assistance service for seniors. If you have questions or comments about this column you can reach him at william.mercylink@gmail.com or search for us at www.facebook.com/VisitingAngelsMacon.

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