Senior Dogs Brighten the Day of Senior Citizens
Katie Querna started a program that brings senior dogs to visit other seniors at Maranatha Senior Living in Brooklyn Center. Staff say visits from the dogs brighten the day of the seniors.
It started with a dog named Willie.
Katie Querna adopted a dog named Willie, who couldn’t accompany his owner to live in a senior living center. Then, Katie got to know the dog’s previous owner, a man named Gene Dorphy.
“It’s very sad,” said Dorphy, referring to losing his dog with the move. “No one could take him and no one had any time.”
Katie enjoyed the fact that she not only adopted a dog, but she got an adopted grandpa as well.
“I was like, this grandpa comes with a grandpa,” exclaimed Katie. “There are so many things that I love about Willie, but the best thing about him is that you just get to see people’s tenderness all the time around him. That is so present when I come out here.”
Katie liked seeing how the residents reacted so much that she decided to start having the dogs visit the seniors once a month.
“I feel like my job is just to care for this little being who just brings so much love and comfort to a whole lot of people,” says Katie.
Making Someone’s Day Brighter
People working at Maranatha can see the difference the dogs make in the lives of seniors.
“When we have the animals here, they tend to bring us together,” says Joshua Orenge, a clinical administrator. “People seem to perk up a little more when they see animals, whether it’s a cat or a dog.”
