WELLINGTON, Fla. — Emily Thompson lives in Lisbet Assisted Living in Wellington with her dog, Tank, who she sees as family.
"He announces when someone is at the door," Thompson said. "Once they are in, he will settle down."
Thompson is one of a few seniors who live at Lisbet with their furry friends by their side. Another is Virginia Gissendanner who lives at the campus with her 9-year-old dog Hope.
"We had her on a farm in Georgia," Gissendanner said. "And she walked across the farm in Georgia, across the farm to the house and we found her on our porch."
Jay Mikosch, Lisbet Assisted Living campus director, thought when seniors leave their houses to move into assisted living, they should be allowed to move with their four-legged friends, honoring the bond that the residents already have with their companions.
"For seniors, pets are really for many of them are their family and, in some cases, their only family because their children live out of state or they might not have any other family members," Mikosch said. "So when they are thinking of moving to an assisted living community, it's really important for them to be able to have their family member move with them."
Mikosch realizes the difference having a pet makes in an individual's life.
"It adds joy in life to the individual pet owner, but beyond that, it really adds joy to the lives of our residents who are here as well," Mikosch said.
