Pets and Seniors: A healthy combination

By Jim Bradley
Minister Responsible for Seniors

Keep your eyes open for Ontario car licence plates with a new graphic - a cartoon of an Old English sheepdog. The plate owner supports the Farley Foundation, a charity established by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association to assist seniors and people with disabilities on limited incomes to pay for medical treatment for their pets.
The Farley Foundation subsidizes non-elective medical care for pets of seniors receiving the Federal Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), or anyone who receives Ontario Disabilities Support payments, who cannot otherwise afford to pay for their pets’ veterinary care.
As many seniors know, pets provide physical and mental benefits for their owners. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, seniors who have pets tend to have better physical health and mental well-being than those that do not. They are more active, cope better with stress, and have better overall health.
Pets encourage seniors to lead more active lives as the animals need walking and grooming. And dog walking is well-known as a great way to meet people.
Pets increased the survival rate of heart attack victims, according to a recent study by the US Department of Health. The study found that 28 per cent of heart patients with pets survived serious heart attacks, compared to only six per cent of heart patients without pets.
Other studies indicate that senior pet owners visited their doctors less frequently, had lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure.
If you know a senior with a pet, please let them know about the Farley Foundation. The foundation has funds set aside and is actively encouraging more seniors to ask their veterinarian about making an application to the fund.

In most cases, pets eligible for funding have been dogs or cats; however the Farley Foundation has also helped birds, rats, rabbits and a snake!
The Farley Foundation is named as a tribute to Farley the Old English sheepdog, a creation of Ontario cartoonist Lynn Johnston in her syndicated comic strip For Better or Worse.