Everyone yearns to hug and be hugged. What happens when you live alone? Loneliness can be all-consuming, especially for the senior population.

There is a way to give new meaning to life and it involves the life of another, four-legged form. The companionship of a pet fills many lonely hours for elderly people who live alone or feel isolated from friends and family. Having a dog or cat in their life assures a senior of unconditional love when faced with the sudden loss of friends, and if family members live far away. 

Someone they trust will always be there for them.

Pet adoption by seniors can be a wonderful pairing for the pet and the person. Much has been made of the health benefits pets provide to their owners, including lower blood pressure, reduced stress and increased physical activity. Emotionally, a pet can offer a sense of well-being as a friend and entertainer. The added benefit is that a senior can also provide the pet a much needed home.

Should you agree that a loving pet is the perfect solution for yourself or one you care for, there are many reasons to consider an adult animal. Mature pets are more likely to be calm, already housetrained, and less susceptible to unpredictable behavior. Older animals are usually easier to manage physically than rambunctious young animals. In addition, adult pets are often harder to place in homes than young pets; thus you will truly be saving a life. 

Additional consideration should be given to the amount of care and exercise that an individual can provide a pet, and what type of pet would be a good match. After this, be sure to give some thought to who will care for the pet should the owner become sick - then make those wishes known NOW. 

A sad fact is that 500,000 of the millions of pets euthanized in American shelters each year had happy homes but outlived their owners, who neglected to provide for their care when they became unable.

While pet adoption isn't suitable for all seniors, it can be delightfully beneficial to many seniors and pets alike. Just ask my Mother who lives with an inimitable tortoiseshell cat named Tia … adopted as an adult and never to be homeless again. You can be sure that my mother has my word that I will care for Tia when she no longer can. 

Great adoptable pets can be visited at the Bladen Animal Shelter in Elizabethtown each weekday from 1to 5:30 p.m. or on Saturdays from 9 a.m. until noon. Another way to browse for a pet from the comfort of home is online at: www.Bladen.Petfinder.com. Here you will see pictures and descriptions of the pets to be found at that moment in the Bladen Shelter and area foster homes. 

All you have to do is choose!