SACRAMENTO,
Calif. — Through foster care, homelessness, health
crises and depression, one thing has remained a constant
in Roxy Stan’s life.
"My
pets," said Stan, 68, who lives at an
assisted-living center in Natomas, Calif. "I have
never been without one."
That
streak might have come to an end last year, if not for a
new program by the Sacramento SPCA that has helped keep
Stan and her beloved Siamese cat, Katy, together.
When
both she and Katy fell ill at about the same time, Stan
found herself in a pickle. Suffering from a disabling
respiratory condition among other things, she was unable
to get Katy to the vet in a timely manner, pay costly
bills for the cat’s serious infection, and even
provide basic care at home.
Enter
the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’
Senior Care Program, which offers help to needy pet
owners who are 65 and older.
The
program sends volunteers to the homes of older people
with lower incomes who need help tending to their pets.
The volunteers do everything from walking dogs to
cleaning kitty litter boxes to giving medicine to
reluctant felines, and seniors get transportation and
financial help with veterinary care.
Studies
have documented a wide range of benefits for seniors who
have animal companions. Research has suggested that
Alzheimer’s patients seem to be less anxious after
spending time with a pet, and that owning a pet can help
lower blood pressure in seniors. Studies have shown that
animal companionship can give an emotional lift to
lonely people of all ages.
The
local SPCA’s program is one of just a handful in the
country, said senior services coordinator Shari Lowen.
"The
goal is to help seniors and pets stay together,"
reducing the number of animals that older people give up
to shelters because they no longer can physically or
financially take care of them.
"For
a lot of seniors," Lowen said, "having a pet
gives them a reason to get up in the morning."
That
certainly has been true for Stan.
"I
haven’t known joy all that much in my life," she
said. "My pets have given me real joy, and
love."
Stan,
who spent her early life in Nebraska, counted a calf
named Herbie as her first animal companion.
"I
took really good care of him," she said, until her
parents served him for dinner one night. "I was
devastated," she said. "I never took care of a
calf again."
She
was a foster child for much of her life, she said,
moving from home to home and getting to know a wide
variety of pets including dogs with such names as Shep
and Maggie and Horatio.
Stan
suffered abuse at some of the homes, she said. She
comforted herself by listening to music on her
transistor radio and accepting the "unconditional
love" of pets.
As
an adult, Stan has enjoyed the company of a dog named
Alexis Star and cats named Penny, Patches and Sassy. Her
small apartment is decorated with pictures of her late
companions.
Katy
came into her life in 2009 as a fluffy ball of fur just
13 weeks old. "We had an instant connection,"
Stan said.
These
days, Katy likes to lie on Stan’s chest in the
evening, giving her kitty kisses as she rests in her
easy chair reading or watching television.
"She
likes the warmth of my breath," Stan said. The cat
curls up next to her in bed when she goes to sleep at
night.
When
Katy got sick last year, "the veterinarian said
they couldn’t do much for her because I was
economically challenged," said Stan, who worked as
a project manager for a storage company until her health
declined. She now lives on a monthly Social Security
check.
She
heard about the SPCA services through her caseworker
from Sacramento County’s Senior Companion program, and
she phoned Lowen to see if she met income and other
qualifications. She did, and "the rest is
history," Stan said.
SPCA
volunteer Wendy Bright, herself a senior, comes to Stan’s
home every Thursday. "Wendy is a doll," Stan
said. The two have become friends.
The
women typically visit for a while before Bright empties
the litter box, entertains Katy with her favorite toys
and, when necessary, chases the cat down to give her
medicines.
If
a trip to the vet is in order, Bright drives her and
Stan there. Katy’s treatments are discounted by a
veterinary office that takes part in the SPCA’s
program.
The
home program is part of a wide variety of services that
the agency offers to seniors, including discounts on
adoptions and spay and neuter surgeries, free telephone
assistance with pet behavior problems, dog training
classes and free vaccination clinics.
Stan
believes Bright’s weekly visits just may have saved
Katy’s life.
"I’m
not sure what I would have done if I had not found out
about this program," Stan said, teasing Katy with a
fishing pole toy. "I was so worried about her. But
I think we’re on top of everything now."
For
information about the SPCA’s programs and services for
people 65 and older, visit
