Pet therapy? How can I fix this situation?
My 98 year old Mom lives in a pet free senior apartment. Unfortunately the owners refuse to allow any visiting dogs or cats under any circumstances. I never would have suggested this place if I’d known how heartbreaking it is for Mom. There was a stray cat visiting her for a while before they captured it and took it away. Mom hates her place, hasn’t left her room since 2019, and says she’s too old and has given up. She refuses to come out to the parking lot to visit my dog and won’t move. A visiting dog would make a world of difference to her. How can the owners be so cruel?? I’ve asked to just bring my dog in and out through the patio door so as not to be problem for other residents. No luck, they refuse to let me even take my dog (or any animal) out of my car. How can I fix this situation? Doctor says she can’t write a prescription for a therapy dog.
Could you take her once a week to volunteer at the local SPCA or a rescue? They often look for people to help them socialize the animals. Or even Petsmart-- Our local rescue's always looking for people to go visit the animals there and they do sign ups to feed them. Could she go walking with you and your dog -is there a park nearby?
If it would add a lot of value to her life, would you move her to somewhere that allowed pets?
I am sorry that your mom doesn’t get to see any pets. I agree with you. It does cheer them up. I hope your mom’s facility will consider changing the rules.
I wonder if this was always the rule there or if they had visits before and something happened? Maybe a dog bit a resident or had an accident. Have you asked if they ever allowed visits?
Have you presented the administrator with any documentation regarding how uplifting it is for residents to receive visits from pets? Have other residents complained about this rule? Do you think they would consider allowing visiting pets if a significant amount of residents requested it?
Best wishes to you and your mom.
Probably won't work, as you have tried to persuade them to allow visits but, you could try. Have your doctor give you a prescription for a service dog.
Is it possible to move your mom to a different location, maybe AL? That is what I would be checking into so she could have furry friendly visits and some care and help with meals and cleaning.
Best of luck finding a solution to this situation.
So you know, not many places refuse animal visits. I could take my dads dog to visit him in rehab, I could even leave her there for several hours as long as I had her shot records and she wasn't disruptive by barking. Many people benefited from visits when I brought her in. Try to find some place where mom can live the life she wants.
DH and I SWEAR that some of our birdies are getting to know us, but ANY of the little sparrows and chickadees and if you’re lucky, GOLDFINCHES can really put on a show.
Another alternative could be a good fishbowl with a coupe tiny neons, also ADORABLE TO WATCH. They are only about an inch or so long, so the fishbowl itself wouldn’t have to be huge.
You’d want a filter and all the necessities for keeping the little critters healthy.
Hopefully “You can’t pet ‘em, but you STILL CAN’T FORGET ‘EM”!
I'm rehabbing from a major foot surgery and after 12 days in bed, I'm ready to throw in the towel and I know I'm getting better and will be fine. But the DEPRESSION sets in when you cannot do what you want and there seems to be no joy in anything.
AS far as the pet thing--well, that's so sad, but many places do not allow pets, as there are often people who cannot be around animals at all. Also, elderly people struggle with caring for their pets. My mom has 2 birds and she can't do anything more than pour seeds into their dish. Do they bring her joy? Yes, but she also wouldn't notice if we replaced those live birds with fake ones.
I've seen advertised the 'motor kitty' (for lack of a better description)--a very realistic cat that has batteries in it that make it purr and move a little. Actually, come to think of it, my g-daughter had one as a toy and it was scary how real it seemed. In my mind, that thing was SO realistic!
It's not a real cat, but it did fill my g-daughters want to have a cat and her very allergic mom was not affected by it.
I know it seems so mean to not allow a senior to have a pet, but it adds to the total burden of elder care, for one, and it's not really fair or kind to the animal.