Plan lets elderly, pets live together> Cancer patient bequeathed funds for Pets & People home

BALTIMORE — Tom Heghinian was devastated when he was separated from his dogs Muttski and Halley after being hospitalized for cancer.

“I think the disease progressed a lot faster because his reason for living was gone. He just gave up,” said Liz Kirk, a friend and president of the Animal Welfare League of Baltimore.

Heghinian was determined to help other elderly pet owners, Ms. Kirk said. In his will, he bequeathed enough money for the league to buy and refurbish a home so elderly pet lovers could continue to live with their animals.

The nonprofit Pets & People home in northeast Baltimore will initially house three residents, who will be allowed to have up to three dogs or cats each. About 20 people have requested applications for the program.

Construction crews are restoring the Victorian home, adding wheelchair ramps and bathroom fixtures to make the home accessible to the elderly. A sun porch is also being remodeled to include perches and scratching posts for feline residents.

“Many older people don’t have anybody else other than their pets,” said Jean Galkin, who serves on the Pets & People board. “There is this marvelous, warm attachment that shouldn’t be severed.”

Experts agree that allowing the elderly to keep their pets with them can be beneficial for their physical and mental well-being.

“People who are lonely may dwell on their aches and pains,” said Maureen Fredrickson, deputy director of the Seattle-based Delta Society, a nonprofit organization made up of doctors, veterinarians and others who promote the therapeutic effects of animals on humans.

“Research has demonstrated that elderly pet owners visit their doctors less frequently. They are less lonely, more active and even more likely to survive a heart attack than a non-pet owner.”

“Elderly persons tend to have pets as a source of memory and a last link with the family,” she added. “Their pets may be the most important things for their sense of self and accomplishment.”

Dorothy Brooks, of Newburgh, N.Y., contacted the group after reading an article about the project in Cat Fancy magazine. She said she and her husband, George, are trying to find a place to retire that would also accept their six cats.

“We aren’t the only people in this position with dogs or cats. Most condominiums refuse to allow you to bring pets,” she said.

To qualify for Pets & People, residents’ physical and mental health must be certified by a doctor and the health of their pets must be certified by a veterinarian. The cost of the program is $950 per month, which Ms. Kirk said is less expensive than traditional nursing home care that can cost up to $3,000 a month.

A 24-hour caretaker will prepare meals and live in a third-floor apartment at the house. A health care worker and vet also will make periodic visits.

The program guarantees that pets will continue to be taken care of if residents become too ill to continue living in the home or are transferred to a hospital or nursing home.

“It gives them peace of mind knowing nobody will destroy the animal,” Ms. Galkin said.

The group would like to establish other homes, Ms. Kirk said. Animal activists in Tennessee, Michigan and Illinois also have contacted the group to find out how they can set up similar programs.