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Non-profit helps Okanagan seniors, pets stay together

Click to play video: 'Okanagan seniors access support to care for dogs with non-profit'
Okanagan seniors access support to care for dogs with non-profit
Okanagan seniors access support to care for dogs with non-profit – May 21, 2021

Teddy is a pampered pooch and he has a great team behind him, comprised of volunteers from Thompson-Okanagan ElderDog.

The national not-for-profit helps seniors care for their pets, assisting them with taking their dogs to the veterinarian, the groomers, on a walk, for emergency fostering, or sometimes re-homing a pet if necessary and more.

“What we do is we support seniors to keep their canine companions,” said Tianna Smidt with the organization.

“We believe in the human-animal bond and the support it brings to seniors that are maybe isolated at home.”

Smidt said that the volunteers create friendships with the clients that help make their day a little less lonely.

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Donna Duke enlists the help of the dog lovers to make sure the two-year-old Pomeranian Shih Tzu mix gets in the walks he needs.

“I don’t know what I would do without it [ElderDog]. I got to the point where it was just too painful for me to walk him because even though he is only eight pounds, he just pulls and pulls on the leash and my back and my legs were aching,” said Duke.

Now Teddy can run and pull all he needs to burn off his extra energy with volunteers who have been matched with the right services.

The not-for-profit is in need of volunteers and welcomes more clients for more information visit their website www.elderdog.ca

Click to play video: 'Search dogs join Okanagan search and rescue crews to potentially help save lives'
Search dogs join Okanagan search and rescue crews to potentially help save lives

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