Program to help feed senior citizens' pets

Sometimes finding a way to feed a senior’s pet is a way for the senior to feed themselves.

The Golden Hour Senior Center is partnering with AARP, Deer Trail and the Young at Heart Senior Center for the Care for Critters program.

Barbara Bates, GHSC activities and marketing coordinator said this program is designed to help seniors by donating pet food, paying for vaccinations and medications and anything else they might need for their pets.

“A lot of seniors forego their own needs to care for their pets and some need assistance,” Bates said.

In some cases, the senior citizen will buy their pet’s medication instead of their own. This is why this program is so important for seniors who own pets and are on a limited budget.

“As we know the pet is a four-legged family member,” Bates said. “Spending time with their pet gives them joy for the day.”

Bates said senior citizens who are in need of help can fill out a form with their pet’s information. Forms have already been mailed to those who are on the Meals on Wheels program and announcements have been made at the GHSC.

The deadline to return the form, which are available at the center, is March 17. Bates said she can fill out the forms for people over the phone if they would like.

Once the center has all of the forms, the program will act like the Angel Tree program. The items seniors need for their pets will be written on a cut out of a cat or a cut out of a dog bone and placed on a fence.

Bates said residents can come into the center and take either a cat-care request or a dog-care request. Once the resident has taken the request, they go and purchase the items needed and bring those items back to the senior center.

“We will make deliveries to those folks (during) the week of April 17,” Bates said.

So far, the center has received about 20 requests back, but Bates is expecting about 40 more to come in. This estimation is based on how many requests the center received last year, which was about 60. Even though the program itself it geared toward seniors, Bates said anyone can buy the items these seniors need.