Pets are always welcome at United’s communities
One of the many benefits of living at United is the community’s acceptance of pets. Cats and dogs (and the occasional bird) are treasured members of residents’ families, so it makes sense that they move in right along with the residents. At United, there are currently three dogs, 11 cats…and a bird. Not to mention the bunny that’s been adopted by the entire Garrison Green community!
Jack Henderson has lived at Garrison Green for about 10 years. He and his wife Anne (who passed away a few years ago) brought their 14-year-old cat named Bella with them when they moved in.
“We picked her up at the Humane Society in Cochrane when she was about one year old. My wife was in a wheelchair and when we went into the room with the cats, one in particular spotted Anne, walked over and jumped in her lap. So Anne said, ‘it looks like this is the one’, and she’s been part of the family ever since.”
Jack chuckles, “It was very unusual because Bella doesn’t like to be held and has rarely sat comfortably in anyone’s lap since.”
Betty Giles moved into United’s Fish Creek community in May when looking for a community that offered a variety of programs and opportunities to socialize. She also wanted a place that allowed pets. “We’ve always been a feline family, so after I moved in I started looking for a grey coloured cat. I found a five-year-old male online at the Calgary Humane Society, and picked him up in November. He’s called Pushkin, after the 19th century Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.”
Pushkin, who was owned previously, was in an altercation with a large dog in September. “He had to have his jaw wired shut, which the previous owner couldn’t afford, so he was given up. When I got him he was with a foster family and he is now perfectly healthy. He is an important part of the family now.”
Both Jack and Betty believe it’s important that residents who have pets bring them along with them when they move in. “They make a tremendous positive difference in a person’s life, so it’s great that United accepts them,” said Jack.
Photos by United Active Living, Pixabay. Videos by Sherana Productions.
Talk with one of our active living advisors about life in a United community. They can arrange tours of our Garrison Green and Fish Creek communities. If you know a friend or family member who could benefit from living in a United community, send them a link to our website or blog, or arrange a future visit. We are happy to help!
To learn more about life at United’s Fish Creek community, watch this short video.
Or, to find out more about life at United’s Garrison Green, watch this short video.
