National Pet Month in the UK is getting closer and closer. The event is an annual one and its aims are to:
There is a different theme each year; in 2015, the theme of the month is: Pets and the elderly: enjoying later years together.
The month hopes to raise awareness of the positive impact pets play in the lives of our elderly and to highlight the need for forever homes for older pets. Older pets have much to offer, and many an older person will switch their heat on for their pet to keep warm but wouldn't put it on for themselves. My website Get Active with Animals has more information about the elderly and their pets, and there's also a write up about therapy visits the Donkey Sanctuary's donkeys make to residential homes to meet the residents. There's also tips on finding a pet friendly care home because they do exist!
If you're looking to help with dog walking, and you're willing to help an elderly person walk their pet, check out the Cinnamon Trust, a remarkable charity whose volunteers help with pet care for the elderly and terminally ill. There are some wonderful case studies here of volunteers helping the elderly with their pets here.
All too often, elderly pet owners have to give up their pets because they just can't care for them, and if a volunteer can step in and help with tasks such as walking, this can make all the difference - and also help prevent the sad event of pets and the elderly having to be parted, with the pet being sent to a rescue centre for re-homing.
There's plenty of ways to get involved, by running an event or joining an event someone else has organised, or you can hop onto one of the online communities and get stuck in. You'll find these at
www.facebook.com/NationalPetMonth
www.twitter.com/NatPetMonthUK
and
www.facebook.com/JoinScratchingPost
www.facebook.com/JoinParkBench
