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Worry has a Way of Shrinking Your World

Why Supporting Pets Supports Seniors

Before retiring from secretarial work, Janet spent years serving others in her community. She helped support preschool and Head Start programs, assisted with fellowship dinners and church pantry outreach, and participated in choir ministries that visited nursing homes, hospitals, and prisons. Those experiences shaped her belief that “compassion, connection, and community are a way of living.”

Today, Janet lives alone while managing multiple chronic health conditions. She relies on an electric wheelchair and public transportation and lives on a fixed income. At her side is Cato, her loyal black Labrador service dog.

Janet says Cato came into her life during a season when her health and mobility challenges were becoming overwhelming. “When Cato arrived, it felt like God sent help wrapped in fur and gentleness. He arrived right on time, as God often does,” she shared. Through a physician recommendation and a nonprofit organization called Paws With A Cause, Cato became Janet’s service animal. But he’s so much more than that: he’s family, her steady companion and daily source of comfort and safety.

Cato assists Janet with mobility, stability, and daily tasks that would otherwise be difficult or unsafe. But their bond goes far beyond practical support.

“Emotionally, Cato is my anchor,” Janet explained. “He senses my stress before I speak it and offers comfort without needing words.”

One recent moment especially stayed with her. Feeling overwhelmed, Janet watched as Cato came to her wheelchair, rolled onto his back for belly rubs, and then gently rested his head across her feet, his quiet way of reassuring her that they were both okay.

The U.S. Surgeon General highlights the growing challenges of social isolation among older adults.¹ At Meals on Wheels Chesapeake, this reality is reflected in our community, with 70% of participants living alone.

Pets often serve as a critical source of companionship and stability. Research shows that caring for a pet can provide older adults with a sense of purpose and routine that helps reduce loneliness and isolation, while also encouraging activity and engagement.^{2, 3} Studies also indicate that interacting with pets can lower blood pressure and reduce stress, improving cardiovascular health and overall well-being.^{3, 4}

For many homebound seniors, however, physical limitations and financial constraints make pet care difficult. Yet the bond remains deeply important. Participants say that receiving pet assistance has helped them keep their pets, avoiding the heartbreaking choice between meeting their own needs and those of their pets. Our Pets Advancing the Wellbeing of Seniors (PAWS) program helps bridge this gap by providing pet food, supplies, and access to mobile veterinary care, supporting both seniors and their animal companions.⁵

Before enrolling in Meals on Wheels and PAWS earlier this year, daily life often felt uncertain for Janet. She worried not only about her own food security and medical needs, but also about whether she could continue providing for Cato.

“Worry has a way of shrinking your world,” she said.

When she learned that PAWS could help provide food, supplies like his monthly tube of toothpaste, and veterinary care for Cato, she cried tears of joy.

“Knowing that Cato, who gives so much to me, would also be cared for felt like more than a blessing,” she shared. “It meant we were seen as a team. It meant our little two-member family would stay together.”

The support has eased a major financial burden, allowing Janet to better afford medications and essentials while bringing renewed peace of mind and stability into her daily life. Just as importantly, the regular visits from Meals on Wheels volunteers help combat the isolation many older adults experience.

“Meals on Wheels provides human contact: a knock on the door, a warm greeting, a moment of kindness,” Janet said. “Those small interactions add up. They remind me that community still exists, even when life becomes quieter.”

For Janet, knowing both she and Cato are cared for means far more than receiving meals or pet supplies.

“It means dignity. It means safety. It means we are not forgotten.” Her story is a reminder that programs like Meals on Wheels and PAWS do more than meet physical needs. They preserve independence, strengthen companionship, and ensure older adults — and the furry family members who love them — can continue aging with connection, comfort, and hope.

Further Reading

1. Office of the Surgeon General. (2023). Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
2. Hui Gan, G. Z., Hill, A. M., Yeung, P., Keesing, S., & Netto, J. A. (2020). Pet ownership and its influence on mental health in older adults. Aging & Mental Health, 24(10), 1605–1612. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2019.1633620
3. Friedmann, E., Gee, N.R., Simonsick, E.M., Barr, E., Resnick, B., Werthman, E., & Adesanya, I. Pet Ownership and Maintenance of Physical Function in Older Adults—Evidence From the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), Innovation in Aging, Volume 7, Issue 1, 2023, igac080, https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac080
4. Levine, G. N., Allen, K., Braun, L. T., Christian, H. E., Friedmann, E., Taubert, K. A., Thomas, S. A., Wells, D. L., & Lange, R. A. (2013). Pet Ownership and Cardiovascular Risk. Circulation, 127(23), 2353–2363. https://doi.org/10.1161/cir.0b013e31829201e1
5. Meals on Wheels of Chesapeake. (n.d.). Programs & impact. https://mealsonwheelschesapeake.com/programs-impact/