Senior Citizens Couldn't Afford Pet Food So "Meals On Wheels" For Animals Steps Up To Assist

Aug 26, 2019 by apost team

Living with pets is a great joy for many, and shouldn’t be taken away just because an individual has grown older or loses part of their income. Unfortunately, seniors tend to give up pets they can no longer care for, but an organization in Dallas has stepped in to help them continue living with their furry friends by their side.

The organization is called the Seniors' Pet Assistance Network (SPAN) and started when a volunteer at the Senior Source saw that clients were sacrificing their own food or medical needs to care for their pets. That was ten years ago and the woman was Adelle Taylor, who started SPAN as a kind of “Meals on Wheels” program for animals.

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Today, her daughter Laurie Jennings has taken over and leads the organization in their activities.

"It's something you don't think about," Jennings told Dallas News. "The individual who is living on a very limited fixed income loves their pet as much as you and I love our pets."

SPAN offers help for those who are over the age of 67 and make less than $1,200 a month. Volunteers visit senior homes with pet food, assist with vet help, or even serve as liaisons for adopting rescues.

In 2018, alone, the organization made up of 30 volunteers, delivered 662 bags and 3,804 cans of pet food and 64 buckets of kitty litter and gave veterinary help for more than 60 animals.

The home visits benefit the pets who get their yummy snacks on time, as well as the seniors who can chat with the delivery volunteers, and not have to experience isolation.

Thanks to the work of these selfless volunteers, the seniors can also continue to care for and keep their pets.

What do you think about this genius idea? Do you know somebody who might benefit from learning about this organization? Tell them by passing on this article.