Thanks Upstream! His paperwork said that he was an owner turn in, but he had such good manners, and over time, it became clear to us that he had been owned by someone elderly. We believe that his owner either died or was put in a nursing home, and the family put him in a (kill) shelter. Two days before he was going to be euthanized, he was rescued by Animal Samaritans and put in the adoption event where we found him. He has been a Godsend for my mother, who never had a dog of her own before, and calls him her angel. He sleeps on her bed, and when she gets tired during the day, she says, "Oso, lets go take a nap!" and he jumps up and trots after her to go cozy up with her in bed. Truly, a match made in Heaven.

eguillot - what a nice story!

Litledogtoo - When Mom started asking about getting a dog we had a couple of requirements - it couldn't be a "yapper". I hate dogs that bark all the time. So when we finally agreed that we were in a situation to get a dog, we went to the annual adoption event our valley puts on where all the local shelters and adoption agencies have dogs present in a local park. There were over 200 dogs present with lots of noise, music, vendors and barking dogs. I went through first pre-screening dogs, and eliminating "yappers" - all dogs that were just standing there barking. That eliminated at least half of them - probably close to 2/3. I picked out several that I thought were good contenders, and brought Mom back to look at them. She looked at them, but wasn't particularly enthused. She instead picked out this mop of a dog in the back of one of the kennels. He hadn't been groomed in months and seemed kind of shy. Not afraid, but not eager to make friends. Mom decided he was the one. I thought she was nuts, but as soon as she brought him home, he blossomed. It was clear immediately he had impeccable manners. Then we got him groomed and discovered what a beauty he was. It wasn't until he was home with us that we discovered he was no shed - what a bonus! The only problem we had with him was in training him to go onto the side of the house to go potty, we discovered he doesn't like to get his feet wet, and when the sprinklers are on, he wouldn't go over there. So we built him a sidewalk lol. No problem since then. He's only a little spoiled. And when Mom is gone, he will continue to be spoiled. He is part of the family.

I've often thought about this whenever I hear that an aging parent has received a puppy from a well meaning relatives after their loved one has died.

When I walk my dog, I think, Gees, how does someone who finds it hard to walk, walk their dog? When I'm not feeling well (I live alone, or used to until my mom came) sometimes I can barely care for myself, let alone a dog! When the dog has to go out for his last piddle of the night, is an elder going to want to be with that dog in the dark?

Money: Today, dogs are expensive to keep. Does that person have the funds and the ability to take the animal to a veterinarian? Can they drive?

I believe a well behaved animal is wonderful for a person who is alone. However, it can also be a nightmare if that person can't care for the animal properly.

Very timely as 90 yr old mom is asking for a dog.

Question is do I want to walk a dog in addition to everything else?

I think mom would love a dog if i can find the right one. I agree about taking older person to pick one out but many shelters are not set up for mobility impaired folks.

I volunteered at an animal shelter for years. Matching someone with the right pet is awesome. Please don't adopt any pet for someone else as a surprise, a gift, or without their full enthusiasm and acceptance. It's best to bring the prospective adopter to the shelter and let them meet and pick out the pet they want. Often, someone comes in with a breed or look in mind, but bonds with a different animal. A bad match could be detrimental to animal and human. A good match up could make all the difference in the world for both!!!

We share custody of my daughters chihuahua ( we take her when I have a long stretch off,, weekly) My parents LOVE her. She stays out from underfoot because she is nervouse about being stepped on. She does growl sometimes if Dad tries to kiss MOm while she is cuddling up with Bella and she has nipped on occaison, but the love and enjoyment they get is worth it to them. Bella has become less agressive as she has gotten used to them, and they love her cuddling and licks

My mother adopted a dog who had obviously been with another senior - he walks behind her, is very cautious around her when she's walking, and when she went into a nursing home after she broke her hip, we took her in to visit, and he acted like he's been in a similar place before. When we got him, he was totally housebroken, had perfect manners, and was 2 days away from being euthanized. He only barks when someone comes to the door and he doesn't shed (poodle/bichon cross). We have to get him groomed once a month, but the no shed makes it way worth it. No dog hair anywhere, and none of the dust and dander that goes with it. I've had a ton of ton of dogs before, and this is by far the easiest one I've ever had. Oh, he also goes in and out a doggie dog (had to train him to do that) and only uses one part of the yard (which we also trained him to do). Perfect dog.

Mike, above, had a good point about pets who can get under foot... and especially if an elder is wearing bifocals, they are viewing down through the reading glass part of their eye glasses, thus things tend to be blurry.... easy to accidently step on a pet sleeping on the floor or on a carpeted step that is a similar color as the pet.

If someone really wants a pet, I suggest checking the shelters for an elder dog or cat... they tend to be much calmer but they will also come with age decline issues. A nice new forever home would be great for such an animal who desperately misses their masters.

As a volunteer helping both older adults and rescue animals, I always see the need to join these two. I tend, however, not to because I worry about the safety of both. My first vision is the person tripping over the pet. So many people could benefit from an older cat, for instance, but cats tend to get into your feet as you walk. I wonder if there are other pets besides dogs an cats that can be beneficial.