Fido has his senior space too!
WE would all have a pet if it was up to Claire Horton, the chief executive of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
Her 83-year-old mother goes out with her dog four times a day.
‘She has 12 friends and they meet with their dogs in the park and they even go on the fitness equipment,’ says Claire, who owns two rescue dogs and a cat. ‘Having a pet keeps us grounded, helps with loneliness and social isolation, and could be the answer to many of society’s ills.’
The problem is many landlords don’t allow pets. Some 10 per cent of dogs at Battersea come from older people who are forced to give them up because they have to move into rented housing.
‘Many landlords don’t like pets and it can be traumatic for the pet and the owner if they have to be separated,’ she adds.
But, thankfully, retirement developers are becoming more aware of the importance of pets and are offering services, such as dog walking and even pet grooming salons, to entice residents.
Angela Wallace, marketing director at Lifecare Residences, which has two retirement villages, Battersea Place in London and Grove Place in Hampshire ( groveplace.co.uk), says: ‘We can offer dog walking if required, and have previously fitted cat flaps. We can also help with finding kennels or dog sitters, but often find that residents will take on dog care if a neighbour is away or unable to do the walking.’
Caroline Hamilton downsized from her five-bedroom home in Richmond after 50 years to a twobedroom apartment at Battersea Place. The retirement village is opposite Battersea Park and her dog Lola has settled in well.
‘ I wanted to be as close to Central London as I could,’ says Caroline, a retired dolls house maker. ‘I love going to the theatre, so it is a great advantage to be so well served by public transport as well as the in-house car service.’
According to a study from Cambridge University, owning a pet can improve our general health in less than a month, with pet owners reporting fewer headaches, coughs and colds.
RESEARCHcarried out by Onepoll.com for McCarthy & Stone ( mccarthyandstone. co.uk) revealed that 32 per cent of pet owners said their pet gave them a purpose in life, with nine out of ten believing their animal was good for their health. ‘Questions about our pet-friendly policy are top of the list for pet
owners who are downsizing,’ said a spokesman for the housebuilder. ‘Well-behaved pets are welcome in all of our developments.’
When Barbara and Ron Wood, both aged 87, downsized from their home in Somerset, leaving their golden labrador Simba behind was not an option.
‘My husband and I have been married for almost 65 years and we’ve always had dogs,’ Barbara says. ‘We couldn’t bear the thought of being without Simba.
‘As a 14-year-old rescue dog, it’s only right for him to have a place that makes the most of his golden years, too.’
Set within 27 acres of Hampshire countryside, Grove Place, where one-bedroom apartments cost from £295,000, was ideal.
‘As newcomers, we found it easy to settle in and make friends with Simba,’ adds Barbara.
Meanwhile, Elysian Residences is building two developments in North London: Landsby in Stanmore (one-bedroom flats from £490,000 to £1.25 million for a penthouse) and Oren in Hampstead, which will have dog groomers ( elysian residences.com).
If you don’t have a pet, Anchor Hanover’s developments offer communal ones. Managers take in their own or ask rescue centres to bring in animals, which have included parrots, foxes and meerkats ( anchorhanover.org.uk).
Such is the pet-friendliness of Braziers Field, a development of 28 two- bedroom houses in Hertfordshire — there is a chicken coop. And the egg collectors are known as wing commanders.