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Pam Vassil was 64 when she adopted her first dog. As a busy communications executive, she had previously owned a fish.
“It was nice to come home, check on and feed the fish,” she said. “But I really wanted a dog.”
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She went to Animal Haven, an animal rescue in New York City, bonding with four-year-old Pumpkin, a Corgi Lab mix.
“It was my birthday present to me,” Vassil said. “I’d walk him a gazillion times a day. It took awhile until I understood his needs. Then we fell into a routine and fell in love with each other.”
Pumpkin lived until 14, his last two years with cancer. After he died, Vassil said, she couldn’t stand being without a dog. Now retired, she researched rescue dogs online. She connected with one-year-old Baker, a Beagle Lab mix who’d just had a litter of puppies. Vassil took her out for a walk and adopted her soon after.
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It took some acclimation. Baker had lived in the rural south and had to adjust to city concrete sidewalks.
“Sometimes I walked her for two hours while she tried to find a place to pee,” Vassil said. “I lost a lot of weight.”
That’s just one of the perks of being an older pet owner.
Health benefits of animal ownership
Pets are cute, but they can also create significant — and sometimes surprising — health benefits, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Imagine lowering your blood pressure, reducing loneliness, getting daily exercise and feeling happier all in one furry package.
Current research says benefits to owning a pet include stress relief, maintaining a routine, increased socializing, enhanced brain health, providing companionship and building a sense of purpose.
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