New program matches senior people with senior pets | InsideNova

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Sitting in Lori Leary's arms, CiCi, a 10-year-old toy poodle, looks perfectly content.

The blind dog squished her face into the bend of Leary's elbow and nearly fell asleep as Leary sat with her in a conference room at the Prince William County animal shelter Wednesday.

"I think she'd be a perfect dog for a senior," said Leary. "She just wants to sit in your lap. This is what she wants to do."

Now, with the help of a program funded through Leary's non-for-profit group it might be easier for CiCi and other dogs like her to meet their match.

Through the new Seniors for Seniors program in place at the Prince William County animal shelter, people over 60 can adopt dogs or cats over 5 for free.

The adoption fees are paid for by LUCAS (Let Us Consider Adoption Strays) a not-for-profit fundraising group Leary founded to support shelter dogs.

"A lot of people want to adopt puppies or young dogs," said Leary, who is offering foster care for CiCi now. "But older dogs need to be adopted too. And we also feel that a lot of seniors could benefit from having a pet."

The program was the brainchild of animal control officer Lt. Pauline Shatswell who approached Leary to ask if LUCAS could fund the program, Leary said.

"I was totally on board," Leary said. "I've wanted to do something like this for a while."

The program began about two months ago and so far eight seniors have participated by adopting senior cats or dogs, said Lt. Dawn Harmon, Prince William County's Animal Control Bureau manager.

"It's been very successful so far," Harmon said. "I think they've all been good matches."

Harmon said she recently saw one man and the dog he adopted through the Seniors for Senior program.

"It was like he had always been his dog," Harmon said. "They were such a good match."

As of Wednesday, there were six senior dogs and nine senior cats available for adoption at the county shelter, though that number can change daily, Harmon said.

Leary said she is hopeful that the Seniors for Seniors program will prove helpful for both the animals who are adopted and for the people who adopt them.

"Senior dogs are instant, loving companions," Leary said.

For more information about LUCAS, visit www.lucascares.org.

Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-530-3908.

Source: http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2012/jul/22/new-program-matches-senior-people-senior-pets-ar-2072480/

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