SEATTLE, Wash. — A Seattle Senior Center is keeping its residents happy through the power of connection. It’s called the Pet Pals program. The goal is to combat the feelings of loneliness and isolation that many experience. The therapy program connects older adults with pets, bringing them comfort, joy, and companionship.
On Thursday, residents at Mary Schwartz Summit in Seattle spent the morning making friends with a series of rabbits, including Star and Curious George.
“Programs like these help us to be able to care for residents in their whole totality rather than just what they need day to day,” said Matthew Powondra, Administrator, Mary Schwartz Summit. “We really focus on creating a community here.”
KIRO 7 Photojournalist David Thompson spoke with one of the residents, Vera Kantor, about the Pet Pals program.
“This is a therapeutic kind of situation,” she told KIRO 7 News. “When you sit and you pet a little animal that’s so docile, it creates such a comforting feeling for you.”
Kantor said today’s event took her back to her days in South Africa, where she grew up.
“We had a huge 10 by 10 fenced-in area, and we looked after rabbits,” she said. “They’re just so sweet-natured.”
Kantor said the Pet Pals program is one of the many reasons she loves living at Mary Schwartz Summit.
“We have amazing activities that are created by all the people that work here to keep us occupied, entertained, happy, and just experience all kinds of things that we probably wouldn’t do on our own at this stage in our lives, so we are very grateful.”
The program is made possible by the generous philanthropic donors of Kline Galland’s nonprofit organization.
If you’d like to donate, click here.
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