The charity works with small breed dogs and provides support for older pet owners in their homes and in aged care facilities.

Chris Moore, Founder of Hope Springs Eternal Dog Rescue, said, “We offer short term boarding for pets when their owners need to go into hospital and don’t have family or a support network who can care for their pet. We also help with financial assistance to pay for urgent vet care for pets when the owners are experiencing financial hardship.”

The charity’s Cuddles & Co program also matches the pets of working people with older people who love pets but can no longer have one due to living arrangements, health issues or finances.

“The pet keeps the older person company while the owner is at work,” says Ms Moore.

The program also provides greater social connections between pet owners and older adults, such as the opportunity to check in regularly on an older person and advise pre-identified support persons if they are not doing well.

“We have often seen older people are unaware of their pets’ needs, such as with grooming, exercise and vet care, and may struggle to take them to the vet particularly if they no longer drive,” said Ms Moore.

“We consider it would be of absolute benefit to provide for these pet care needs in home care packages. Very often maintaining their relationship with their pet is the sole reason people have to get up each day and preserving this bond and relationship makes a significant difference to quality of life and wellbeing for the senior person.”

Hope Springs Eternal Dog Rescue takes on senior dogs when their owners need to go into nursing care and continue to take pets to visit their owners in care on a regular basis.

“This has been such a positive for the person struggling to transition from living at home to living in an aged care environment, both for the benefit of maintaining their relationship with their pet but also the extra human visitor to interact with,” said Ms Moore.

The rescue group has also commenced pet therapy visits to aged care facilities and have seen firsthand what a positive difference these weekly visits make.

“Residents who can be difficult and won't engage absolutely live for and come alive for their weekly pet therapy visit. Other residents enjoy the interaction with a friendly dog, talking about the pets they had and the extra human visitor, too!” said Ms Moore.

Survey on the benefits and disadvantages of pet ownership

Hope Springs Eternal Dog Rescue conducted a survey in 2023 on the benefits and disadvantages of pet ownership, and results did not surprise Ms Moore and rather “reinforced her beliefs”.

“In the survey, 93% of respondents cited positives associated with pet ownership and 13% of these also cited some negatives.  None of the respondents cited negative effects only,” she said.

For instance, when asked the best thing about pet ownership, 96% of people said companionship and unconditional love, 81% said ‘making me laugh and having someone to greet me when I get home’, and 70% said encouragement to exercise.

To what participants thought the disadvantages of pet ownership were, 74% said ‘pets passing’ and 51% said ‘difficulty to go away’.

“In discussing special experiences with their pets, may people cited companionship, unconditional love, affection, support and comfort during illness or tough times, and their pet making them smile and laugh regularly and helping them manage mental health issues including depression,” said Ms Moore.

“Many also enjoyed travelling with their pets or doing things together like walking, going to the beach, running and cuddling.”

The biggest negative impact on wellbeing was the emotional pain people felt when their pet passed away or they had to make the decision to put them to sleep, she added. Other negatives, according to survey results, were allergies to their fur/hair, asthma, and stress associated with pet behaviour problems or mess in the house.

“Another key source of worry was ageing pets or pets that were ill and required expensive vet treatment, particularly where owners did not have the funds to cover treatment. On occasions, this dictates decisions they must make about their pets’ lives,” said Ms Moore.

“Several survey participants said that having a pet was the only thing that kept them alive during tough times.”

All survey outcomes can be viewed here:  https://hsedr.org.au/index.php/survey-the-positives-and-negatives-of-pet-ownership/

* The survey received 82 responses over the age of 30 from members of Hope Springs Eternal Dog Rescue’s social media community.

View Report: https://petfriendlyagedcare.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CANA-Pet-Friendly-Aged-Care-Survey-Results-OPT.pdf

Many older citizens of the Sutherland Shire in NSW depend on the transport provider to get to their medical and personal appointments, and so do their pets!

“With 69%* of Australian households owning a pet, we could see the need for this service within the Sutherland Shire,” said Stephanie McCamley, Assistant General Manager at Activus Transport. "Our customers trust us with their transport to medical and personal appointments, so it goes without saying that they trust us to transport their beloved pets, too.”

Activus Transport is funded by the State and Federal Government and caters to nearly 6,000 people in the Sutherland Shire area who are unable to access mainstream transport due to physical, social or geographical factors and who live independently in their own home and unit.

“Older people with pets, in particular, benefit from transport services,” says Pam Collocott, Business Development Officer of Activus Transport.

“Our clients have all manner of pets and there is a high need among older pet owners for urgent and non-urgent visits to the vet. Some take their pets to the groomers and friend/family visits. There’s also a service dog who joins his owner on all Activus social bus trips, as well as two companion dogs who go everywhere with their owners in our cars.”

Ms Collocott said some animals are too big for the owners to manage so Activus drivers can support clients in those situations.

“One of our client's father was in hospital for an extended period. We were able to take the client to the hospital with his companion animal to visit his father, which was extremely important to our client,” she said. “Wherever our clients want to go, they know their animal is welcome, too.”

Ms Collocott isn’t surprised by the data in CANA’s Aged Care report, which highlights 68% of people believe residents in aged care should be able to own a pet, and yet only 18% of aged care facilities consider allowing residents to keep a pet.

“I would imagine that the grief of separation from a much-loved pet when older adults have to enter aged care facilities would be incredibly sad,” said Ms Collocott. “I know there are facilities that offer to re-house pets but that is cold comfort for the owner and the pet.”

She is also saddened by CANA’s survey revealing so many older pet owners who live at home do not get help from their in-home aged care service provider to care for their pet.

“We want to support older citizens of Sutherland Shire who want to be out and about with their pet. We welcome any calls for help from seniors and those with a disability to contact us for more details about this service”, she says.

For more about Activus Transport, please visit https://activustransport.org.au/

Lisa Farrall, a retired registered nurse, had been training one of her dogs, Teddy, for over three years to fulfill the role of a therapy dog and was getting quite frustrated that therapy dog training providers on the mainland were not coming to Hobart to do assessments.

Lisa began discussing the issue with dog lovers at Tracking and Scentwork trials she was participating in with her dogs, and the idea was born to start up a locally owned and run business to get dogs into the community!

In October 2021, Lisa and her business partner Danielle Morris launched Therapy Paws Tasmania (TPT), a volunteer-based business that provides much needed ‘canine comfort visits’ to businesses, schools and healthcare settings in Hobart.

At TPT, Lisa’s role is to find clients, assess dog and handler teams and visit facilities with her own three therapy dogs, Teddy, Faith and Baloo. TPT has 12 dog and handler teams with multiple therapy dogs, like Lisa. Danielle and Lisa also do three supervised ‘buddy shifts’ with every team.

“Not only do we do one team visits, we also do big group visits,” says Lisa. “We organise four or five dogs that do tricks like Scentwork and then receive lots of pats and cuddles at the end. The dogs all love it!”

“We have approached many aged care facilities, but unfortunately they often don't see the dogs visiting as a priority or simply do not have the funds to pay for the visits,” says Lisa.

“In an ideal world, we would not have to charge for visits, but insurance is not cheap to cover the teams. We also use those funds to supply our teams with uniforms to wear to their visits. I personally take each team to three supervised visits in different facilities to see how they cope.”

TPT currently provides pet therapy to residential aged care facilities Queen Victoria Care and Barossa Lodge, as well Universities, Emergency Departments, Ambulance Tasmania, Vacation care, Mental health facilities, group homes, agencies with underprivileged youth, and special events like a Variety camp with non-verbal children.

“We try to cover all of Tasmania but only have three teams up north at the moment. We are always on the lookout for teams to volunteer and need funding to continue what we do,” says Lisa.

Ideal pet therapy dog for aged care

The ideal dog for aged care settings comes in many shapes and sizes, and there is not a "one size fits all,” says Lisa.

“Therapy dogs need to love people,” she says. “They also definitely need to be calm and gentle around aged care residents. They cannot be jumping, pawing or getting rough in any way due to the fragile nature of most residents.”

Unlike medium/large dogs, smaller therapy dogs can be a challenge as they are usually too low to have a pat. So smaller therapy dogs need to be happy to sit up on a chair to be more accessible or even sit on someone's lap if requested, explains Lisa.

“A lot of our dogs also do tricks and the residents just love that. It engages them and adds a bit of fun to the visit,” she says. “A lot of our dogs are also very good at reading a room. If the resident is not well or a bit sad, they simply go in and just sidle up for a pat and cuddle. If other residents are well and having fun, the dogs know that and match the mood accordingly. It is very special to watch them work.”

Therapy dogs also need to be prepared for absolutely anything, says Lisa.

“Loud noises, screaming, fights, arguments, aggressive behaviour… They need to be comfortable around wheelchairs, walkers, trolleys, frames. Or be able to leave food on the floor and walk past with a cue from the handler,” she adds.

Handlers also need to be prepared to act in an instance and ensure their own and their dog’s safety are paramount.

“For the health and wellbeing of the dogs, no teams are allowed to work more than 90 minutes per day but the average is 60 minutes. If the dogs are doing the job well, they are exhausted after an hour,” says Lisa.

Pet friendly aged care facilities

Lisa is not aware of any aged care facilities in Tasmania keeping resident dogs, but she knows many aged care staff who take their own dogs in with them.

“I would love to see all areas of Tasmania become more dog friendly, not just aged care facilities. But unfortunately, many dog owners do not understand dog behaviour, dog body language and then incidents occur,” says Lisa.

“More education about pet therapy for dog owners would be a start. I speak to a lot of people when taking my own dogs out. I am told regularly that their dog would be a great therapy dog. Loving people is simply not enough. They need to be ok with whatever comes their way.”

For instance, whilst therapy dogs need to be able to toilet on command, their handlers need to be able to recognise if their dog is stressed and end the session.

“It comes down to many years of obedience training and knowing the dog like the back of your hand. And when you can do all that, you need to maintain it, so the training never stops,” says Lisa.

“While a career in nursing gave me a lot of pride in helping others, to work with all these amazing (therapy dog and handler) teams gives me the most fulfilment. We are making a difference day by day.

“When an ED staff member or an Aged Care resident calls out to your dog "Teddy I love you so much, see you soon" as you leave for the day, I secretly hold back the tears and give my ‘goodest boy’ a big kiss.”

Lisa says pet therapy visits make an “enormous difference” to aged care residents.

“You often walk into a quiet room and the mood instantly changes. Their faces are beaming, their speech is bright and enthusiastic,” she says.

“We talk a lot about our dogs and the dogs they had. Sometimes it is quite sad as quite a few have had to rehome their beloved pets when going into care. Our visits never replace that bond they had with their own pets, but they just love the interaction they can get from ours. I'm so very lucky to witness these special moments and am truly grateful for all our volunteers and their beautiful dogs.”

Glenview’s Activities Coordinator Meagan Lee has been working at the organisation’s two sites - Windsor Street residential aged care site in Glenorchy and Korongee Dementia Village in Derwent Park – since 2012 and regularly brings along her 2-year-old ‘trainee therapy dog’, Astro, to spread love and joy to the residents.
“I’m unashamedly proud of what a natural he is at reading people’s emotions and giving love to so many,” said Meagan.
Another staff member’s trainee therapy dog, Paddington, visits residents at Glenview’s Korongee facility, a purpose-built village for people living with dementia located in Derwent Park.

“We don’t have any residents with pets, but we do have budgies at our Windsor Street site and chickens living at Korongee,” she said.

Glenview engages a local Alpaca farm with specially trained Alpacas to visit the facility and a local school that brings farm animals.
“Volunteers bring pet rabbits and orphaned lambs, and we plan outings to see horses both privately owned and through Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA). Also visitors are encouraged to bring their pets in to visit if appropriate and we regularly have both canine and feline visitors!” said Meagan.
Meagan got Astro, a Border Collie/ Golden Retriever cross, as a puppy and started bringing him to work with her increasingly more as he settled out of his excitable puppy stage.

Over time, “I saw his beautiful personality blossom and his natural talent for reading people’s emotions shine through,” she said, and began to bring him to Glenview more frequently and take his therapy training more seriously.

At both of Glenview’s facilities, Astro spends his day following Meagan about her regular duties which tend to take her all over the facility. He also spends time in the morning and afternoon visiting residents in their rooms.

“We visit anyone and everyone, but also have a list of people who really love Astro’s visits and those who are more isolated or perhaps confined to their beds for various reasons,” said Meagan. “He is learning to put his front paws up onto beds when prompted so that people with decreased mobility can still reach him for a good pat. Astro works really hard and it’s really tiring for him, so I find he needs a rest in the middle of the day. This usually involves a good nap under my desk!”

It's clear Astro has a positive impact on Glenview residents and staff.

“The joy on residents’ faces when they see Astro approaching is testament to the positive impact he has. Residents remember him and greet him like he is their own!” said Meagan.

“We know that there are many proven benefits to Pet Therapy in aged care and it is evident in his interactions and the responses he receives. The sensory and tactile effect of patting and touching a dog (or any animal in fact) has been shown to lower stress levels. Luckily Astro is happy to help lower stress levels all day long!”

Meagan also enjoys witnessing the positive impact Astro has on staff.

“Those small moments where they can stop to say hello and give him a pat can really add something different to their day at work,” she said.

If Astro could talk about being a therapy dog, Meagan thinks he would say, “I love making people smile. I’ve been working on my ‘puppy eyes’ since I was a wee boy; I use them to make anyone feel loved, even on their worst days. My favourite part is all the cuddles I get and the new people I meet; oh how I love people! I know I’m a handsome boy and my smile melts hearts!”

Meagan knows how important it would be for her own wellbeing to have her pets with her in aged care.

“I think it is vital to have (pet friendly) options available for people moving into care,” she said. “I understand the challenges that can come with allowing pets in a shared living environment, especially when it accommodates people living with complex needs and conditions. But the positive benefits to people’s health and wellbeing are evident and must be considered.”

Meagan believes pet friendly rooms and spaces should be accounted for in the building of all new facilities and, where possible, accommodated in current facilities.

“It is such a fantastic way to value add to any organisation. We are seeing changes in so many industries because the benefits of pets are so widely known and accepted. We must take this on board and change the way we do things for the better!” she said.

ACSAH was founded 10 years ago by Tricia Miles, who saw the need in the community to help older adults with pet care – from assisting with administering medication and washing pets to walking dogs and transporting pets to the vet and other tasks.

Having begun with the support of like-minded people and community service provider St Johns Community Care, and under the leadership of Margaret Cochrane, ACSAH progressed to become a stand-alone Incorporated Association in 2017.

Today, the group has 77 volunteers working to meet the needs of approximately 75 ageing pet owners living in their own homes!

Knowing the importance of having a pet and being able to help others with their pet care are the reasons why Leanne Bartlett volunteers.  Leanne has been volunteering with ACSAH for eight years and is the current President as well as the Southern Zone Coordinator.

Leanne’s husband Graham Wilson (past ACSAH President) also volunteers as a carer and is Treasurer of the organisation.

“Our carers help with basic tasks involved in caring for a client's pet. Animal care is not just about walking dogs,” says Leanne.

Volunteers take pets to the vet or groomer, clean kitty trays and bird cages, bath and walk dogs.  Assistance is given to pet owners to facilitate pet registration with Council, provide information to access other pet related services, as well as share information or prompt owners about pet care (eg reminders for pet vaccinations or pet care in high heat temperatures).

“Our volunteers also provide support to people during the loss of a pet,” says Leanne.

“The Zone Coordinators are the mentors, sounding boards, support network and encouragers of our volunteers. They are the link between what is happening on the ground and the committee, meeting the needs of the organisation.”

Volunteers also help with admin, answering phone calls and promoting ACSAH at community events.

Making connections

“Some of the challenges of running ACSAH is getting information to those in need of help with their pet care and maintaining volunteer numbers to meet service requirements” says Leanne.

Getting the message to older people that there is help available can be difficult, especially when many are home bound, she adds. In this situation ACSAH relies on family members advocating for their relative. Veterinary clinics, GPs, community nurses and care workers with community service organisations help to share information about ACSAH.

“ACSAH endeavours to enable flexible volunteering by matching volunteer and client needs,” she says.

Volunteers come from a variety of occupations as well as retirees.  Their volunteering is coordinated around their work/life commitments. ACSAH also welcomes under 18-year-olds with a supervising adult volunteering with them always.

“Without our dedicated volunteers ACSAH could not provide this much needed service,” says Leanne.

Pet support is crucial for older people

Many of the people ACSAH helps have a pet as their only constant companion in their home with them. As a Zone Coordinator, Leanne makes the initial visit with the pet owner to find out their needs for their pet care.

“These are things that they are struggling with or no longer able to do for their pet. The look of relief on a person’s face when I say ‘ACSAH can help you’ makes an impact on me every time,” she says.

“The fact that they recognise a need for their pet and place their trust in a volunteer to be responsible for their pet while undertaking this assistance is extremely gratifying.

“There is a very real need in every community for a service such as this, whether it be part of a Community Home Care Package delivered by a Service Provider or by a volunteer organisation. ACSAH is willing to share our model with others wishing to establish something similar in their community.”

For more information about ACSAH, please visit https://www.acsahcairns.au/

St Vincent’s Care Services (SVCS)

SVCS also provides a number of pet therapy programs throughout its facilities which enable residents to have regular contact with animals, says Katherine O’Brien, Clinical Manager at SVCS in Toowoomba, QLD.

“St Vincent’s Care Services provides opportunities for residents to interact with a range of animals including cats, dogs, fish, birds and chickens,” she says.

SVCS Toowoomba’s residential care facility has one in-house dog named Freckles, Silky, a dog who visits during office hours Monday to Friday, as well as birds and chickens who live on site, not to mention visiting pet therapy chooks and dogs.

“Our in-house dog has taken up residence with one of the ladies who lives here. He sleeps in her room, and she assists with his everyday wants and needs,” says Katherine.

SVCS aims to have all residents involved in pet therapy, from dogs visiting in their rooms to chooks outside on their daily walks or birds in the dining rooms chirping alongside them as they would in our own homes.

“We have visiting chook therapy that provides in room interaction with the poultry and a more touch and feel experience,” she says.

Pets not only have a positive physical and mental impact on SVCS residents but also the staff members – particularly Freckles, the in-house pooch.

“Grantham unit would not be the same without Freckles. He is a part of the family,” says Katherine.

“Freckles makes a huge difference to all the residents he visits, and they make an impact on him, too. He knows just who to visit at the right time to cheer them up, and just whose chair to sit under at meal times! Our staff all contribute to caring for Freckles and he brightens our day as he walks alongside us as we complete our daily tasks.”

Katherine says more support is needed to have pet therapy in facilities like St Vincent’s Care Services.

“We would love more awareness of what community animal visiting options there are (ie horses, cattle, sheep) so we can personalise the visits and allow individuals to reminisce about their lives,” she says.

“I think it is essential to provide an environment that would mimic what the residents would have had at home. This includes personal preference if people would not like a visiting pet to their room, but also scope to allow any visiting pets of choice.

“I hope there is more focus to make our residential aged care facilities as home-like as we can, from the cat on the front mat to the cow at the back fence.”

The village leads a growing list of aged care facilities in ACT that allows pets to come along with their owners.

“It’s encouraging to see more residential aged care facilities allowing pets either to live-in or visit for regular pet therapy sessions for residents,” said Michelle Bennet, General Manager at Greenway Views. “Pets are loved ones, so allowing the constant companionship of a beloved pet with a senior resident in care has a vital effect on their overall wellbeing and quality of life.”

Greenway Views has more than 50 residents with pets with a total of more than 60 pets living in the village, including 45 dogs, five cats, a few budgerigars, a canary and several fish.

Each resident or couple lives with their pet in their spacious, premium apartment within a vibrant village community. Residents can live as independently as they wish or receive personalised care in their own home through LDK’s Home Care services.

“Residents can also opt to receive support services for their pet through their home care package,” said Ms Bennet.

Greenway Views and its sister village Amberfield in Yarralumla also have an on-site dog park where residents like to get together every day to socialise and enjoy each other’s company.

Greenway Views has been pet-friendly since its opening

Greenway Views opened its doors to residents and their pets in January 2020.

Ms Bennet said, “Many residents move to a retirement village after living in a house for a long time. It is a big change and a hard decision. Having to downsize, change your lifestyle, admit that you need support and you’re no longer independent, affects one’s equilibrium. Being able to bring your pet with you helps make it all much easier and kinder.”

Greenway Views’ policy on pets considers all companion animals, so long as they have a suitable temperament to safely socialise with other people and pets and are up-to-date on vaccinations.

“Residents who have pets must also have a care plan that outlines what the pet would require in an emergency, such as when the resident must go to hospital. The pet care plan includes information on the pets’ dietary requirements and walking and care schedules,” said Ms Bennet.

Pets benefit residents in many ways

Ms Bennet can think of numerous examples of how pets have impacted the physical and mental wellbeing of Greenway View residents.

“Many residents say their pet gives them a reason to get out of bed, alleviates loneliness and helps with socialisation,” she said. “Many unequivocally declare that they would not have come if they could not have their pet with them 24/7, as the effect of being separated from their loved one would be unacceptable.”

Ms Bennet recalled a resident who moved to Cogan Cottage, which is Greenway Views’ secure dementia dwelling. The care team assisted and supported the resident to continue having her dog accompany and live with her.

“The familiarity and constant companionship of a beloved pet has a positive and stabilising impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of seniors, especially someone with dementia,” she said. “Having these many pets in the village is also beneficial for other residents and staff who get to interact and enjoy pats and cuddles. Everyone knows the dogs’ names and the dogs enjoy the love and pats they get from everybody as well!”

Greenway Views also allows staff to bring their pets to work.

“We have two staff members who bring their dogs to work every Friday and we have a group of residents with dementia who eagerly wait for these pets so that they can play with and give them treats,” said Ms Bennet.

Greenway Views partnership with Pets and Positive Ageing

LDK shows its commitment to being a pet friendly aged care provider also through its partnership with PAPA (Pets and Positive Ageing), a voluntary community organisation committed to supporting ageing pet owners with information and support.

Companion Animal Network Australia also collaborates with PAPA in advocating for pet friendly aged care policies.

“PAPA advocates for senior pet owners to stay with their pets and provides information and references to pet friendly retirement villages and aged care facilities, including LDK villages,” said Ms Bennet. “LDK is listed on the PAPA website so pet owners are referred to consider an LDK village when looking to move and have their pet with them.”

LDK promotes and uses PAPA’s resources in our villages, including their publications, pet care plan and a wallet card that tells people ‘I have a pet at home’ and who to call, so in the event of an emergency, the right people are notified.

Thinking of the future of pet friendly aged care, Ms Bennet says it’s a good sign of change that more and more aged care facilities are accepting pets, and there is always room for improvement.

“Pets being a trip hazard is one of the reasons pets may not be allowed, but the extensive evidence of the positive impacts of pets far outweighs the challenges,” she said. “Many challenges can be overcome with the right systems, policies and support – from all staff as well as other residents.

“Many aspects of residential aged care will have to innovate in response to consumer needs and requirements and being pet friendly is increasingly a demand criterion for pet owners to consider moving into a retirement and aged care village. We hope that more places will recognise the benefits and embrace being pet friendly.”

In Queensland, Odyssey Lifestyle Care Communities not only accommodates for small and medium pets – they encourage aged care residents to bring their companion animals along with them to their new homes.

Odyssey is an aging-in-place community where residents continue to live with independence and dignity. It consists of around 150 apartments, soon to be much more with the opening of a fourth site at Chevron Island and a few more sites around the Gold Coast.
“The residents have access to all levels of care in their own apartments,” said Rebecca Moraitis, Odyssey Business Development Manager. “Some pets have come along with their owners, and some have been adopted by residents after they’ve settled in the community.”

Odyssey has 11 dogs, three cats and a wise-talking Budgie named Finn McCool!
“Odyssey has always been pet friendly, as we understand that to our residents, their pets are like family,” explained Rebecca. “Phil Usher, our CEO and Founder, knew this when his own Mum needed to move into supported living over 20 years ago. Honey, her little dog, was a non-negotiable when it came time to relocate!”

Odyssey openly welcomes and encourages residents to bring their pets.
“I love the response we get from pet owners when they discover that they can keep their beloved pet and we will even help them make it happen!” said Rebecca.
“We offer pet-friendly activities such as group walks with the fur baby, pet-friendly dining sections, access to pet grooming, bus trips to the dog parks, Santa fur baby pics … we are having an Odyssey Dog Show in September. We even have the ability to put the pets on a care plan (for instance) if the owner is unwell or unable to walk a dog.”

Pet owners must nominate a person(s) to provide emergency care should they be unable to care for their pet at any time. If emergency pet care cannot be arranged, Odyssey can provide interim, short-term pet support through the resident’s Support Plan, which includes staff taking the pets for walks, feeding, toileting etc.
“The residents are so relieved to learn that we are supportive of their wish to keep their pet and can even assist in making it viable ongoing. The sense of relief is a huge reward for all,” said Rebecca.
“To see the residents proudly walking their pets through the community and or entrusting the staff to assist with walks and playtime is invaluable. Residents just gush when we greet the pets by name and give them a pat, they stand there like proud parents.”

Pets also have a positive impact on Odyssey staff members.
“Our staff feel like the pets are a part of the Odyssey family as a whole. They’re a little surrogate family, we all say hello as we pass each other from place to place,” she said.

Staff at Odyssey recognise the deep connection and importance of the pet-owner relationship and how heartbreaking the impact that rehoming would have on both the owner and the pet.“The health impacts of being able to keep your pet are huge for happiness, remaining active, companionship and a great talking point for bragging,” said Rebecca.
Acceptance of pets is certainly a challenge in the aged care industry.
“Ideally there would be a lot more flexibility in many aspects of aged care and the consideration for one to keep a pet shouldn’t be black or white,” she said.
“Many people have the capacity to care for their pet perfectly well and if they need a little assistance, it would be great to have that accessible. The benefits far outweigh the cost and effort.”

Studies show many mental and physical health benefits of pet ownership, including increasing opportunities to exercise, get out and socialise, which is very important for ageing adults, particularly in a residential aged care environment.

However, research shows only 18% of aged care facilities consider allowing residents to keep a companion animal.

Companion Animal Network Australia (Australia CAN) CEO Trish Ennis speaks to Australian media presenter John Deeks from Your Life Choices about the national charity working with aged care experts to improve that statistic.

“We also ask the government to increase the number of pet friendly aged care facilities and promote the social benefits to aged care villages when they welcome pets into their facilities,” she says.

Australia CAN is running a Pet Friendly Aged Care Survey for the public and stakeholders, to help preserve the bond between people and their beloved pets by keeping them together for as long as it provides the best health outcome for the animal and their owner.

‘We aim to change the world one survey at a time,” says Ms Ennis.

LISTEN to Your Life Choices podcast here

Companion Animal Network Australia (Australia CAN) wholeheartedly thanks outdoor media companies Stream Outdoor, Total Outdoor Media and QMS for generously donating outdoor advertising space across the country to our organisation for the past few months.

Australia CAN CEO Trish Ennis said the highly visible and creative outdoor advertising is helping to spread awareness about the charity’s work fighting for a society that recognises the incredible value pets have on people and work to keep people and their pets together.

“Lives are enriched by companion animals, who deserve a loving home,” said Trish. “We are grateful to Stream Outdoor, Total Outdoor Media (TOM) and QMS for helping us to raise awareness about our work campaigning for the humane treatment of all companion animals and rally support for programs that deliver high welfare standards, such as Rent with Pets and Pets in Aged Care.”

Let’s get to know some people behind these wonderful companies!

Total Outdoor Media (TOM)

Total Outdoor Media’s Managing Director Ged Hart is a big animal lover and has many fond memories of his family dog Boo Radley. Fortunately, he and his wife Shari still get to pamper Boo’s sister and best friend, Scout Finch, a gorgeous 14-year-old Staffy x Lab cross.

He said, “My wife Shari has a very special connection with all pups and animals. She is your serial animal rescuer! There have been rescue missions of fairy penguins, magpies and more recently a small family of tawny mouth chicks when a tree fell down out the front of our home in the middle of the night. I’m pretty sure Shar is an ‘All creatures great and small whisperer’ and I’m just her wingman!”

Why does Total Outdoor Media support Australia CAN and its programs?

“Our furry friends need all the help they can get and a special organisation like Companion Animal Network need to get their messages out there far and wide,” said Ged.

“We are lucky to be in a position to give them a hand in getting their important messages across regional Victoria. We are all about supporting positive initiatives like Australia CAN and will continue to do what we can when we can.”

Stream Outdoor

Stream Outdoor’s Sales & Marketing Manager Chris Perera believes animals play a huge part in everyday life, from mental health to socialisation. He and his family adore their gorgeous 8-year-old Rhodesian Ridgeback named Charlie.

“What makes him special is his temperament,” Chris said.

Charlie is a gentle (66kg) giant and he loves to bring him to the office any chance he gets.

“Stream Outdoor is proud to support the team at Australia CAN and help get the message to communities across Regional Queensland via our digital billboard network,” he said.