With April marking National Pet Month, what better time to shine a light on our nearest and dearest fluffy friends – the ones who bring us love, joy and positivity each and every day… year-round! At CareDogs, we know that the happiness and sense of comfort we gain from the companionship of our pets is commonplace – and the scientific evidence showing the beneficial impacts of pet ownership gives us further cause for celebration of our four-legged chums.
Enhancing our physical and mental health, increasing our self-esteem and sense of purpose, and boosting our social connections and overall well-being are just a few of the precious perks associated with owning a pet. In research conducted by Stanley et al. (2013), the scientists found that of the care patients who participated in the study (all of whom were aged 60 or over), those living with pets were 36% less likely than non-pet owners to report loneliness. The study also concluded that pet ownership could help spread feelings of social connectedness and significantly decrease feelings of isolation in older patients. Given our pets’ innate ability to lift our spirits and put a spring in our step, the observation of Stress Awareness Month – also honoured in April – is serendipitous, with research demonstrating that stroking and caring for our pets can significantly reduce our levels of stress and anxiety, creating many positive side effects.
To mark this special month in our canine calendar, we asked our CareDogs volunteers to share a few snaps of their pets, along with a few snippets of wisdom about how these snuggly companions have brought positive change and happiness. Themes of fun, friendship, community and connection appear to weave throughout the different anecdotes – which, as core values we seek to harness through the CareDogs mission – is music to our ears. We hope you enjoy their responses:
Delphine Chui (CareDogs Founder)
"Living with Nola has brought fun and community into my daily life. Her cheekiness in the park always gets me into lots of conversations – so there's certainly never a dull day with this rescue pup!"
Paloma Robinson (CareDogs Trustee for Compliance, Governance and Legal)
“This is Oscar, an almost 14-year-old chocolate Labrador. We hung out 24/7 when we got him when I was 15. He became my best friend. Unfortunately, I now live in London and he lives with my parents in Bath. He has so much love to give and has so many friends. He knows more people than I do. When we go for walks in Bath we always get stopped with people saying, “Morning Oscar!”, or “Don’t worry, we know Oscar!” He walks around the park and likes to say hello to everybody (smiling and wagging his tail as he goes).”
Pauline Wimpory (CareDogs Client Service Volunteer)
"Smartie and her sister, Skittles, are now 16 and have been with us since they were kittens. They have grown up with my children and have been a constant source of comfort and companionship for the whole family.”
Christina Wimpory (CareDogs Dog Adoption Service Volunteer)
“Biscotti is a miniature pinscher I adopted a year ago, and although he was growling and biting, I felt a connection with him I couldn't describe. A few weeks later, I adopted him! Despite having been through a lot, he has the sweetest little soul (with some stubbornness sprinkled in!) and is making strides in his confidence. I love learning about more of his quirks every day, such as bouncing around after imaginary mice in the garden at night!”
Felicity Winkley (CareDogs Trustee for Volunteer Engagement and HR)
“Peach, a Maine Coon, is fabulous because at 5.6kg (and still a kitten!) she clocks in as larger than a lot of small dogs, and is a giant spirit in the house. She’s been a fantastic therapy pet over lockdown and I’m not sure how we would have managed without her! She rules the roost, almost only eats tuna, and is extremely vocal – having interrupted many a work zoom call!”
Melanie Astbury (CareDogs Trustee for Communications and Marketing)
"ShadowMark has been in my life for nearly two years and I am so grateful for him! He makes me smile and has been pawfect company during the lockdowns! He wakes me up for breakfast which helps me keep a good daily routine. Plus he puts up with me taking videos of him for Instagram!"
At CareDogs, we seek to use the power of pet companionship to alleviate loneliness and isolation amongst older people, specifically through supporting them to adopt older rescue dogs and facilitate intergenerational volunteering opportunities. If you know an older person who might benefit from our dog adoption and dog-walking service – or if you’d like to join us as a volunteer to support an older person through companionship and weekly dog walking – please do get in touch.