Credit: Pexels, Kat Smith
Malaga Council have cooked up a paw-some new plan to tackle loneliness and abandoned pets in one fell swoop.
Malaga Council have cooked up a paw-some new plan to tackle loneliness and abandoned pets in one fell swoop. In a groundbreaking move for Andalucía, they’re calling on the region’s golden oldies to open their hearts and homes to some furry new friends – all in the name of boosting their health and happiness.
With nearly 75,000 pensioners sitting home alone and 2,500 abandoned pets left wagging their tails with nowhere to go, this initiative is set to be a match made in heaven. Could adopting a furry companion be the key to curing both problems? To tackle this, Malaga’s provincial council has introduced a groundbreaking scheme in Andalucia to help senior citizens adopt pets, promoting both companionship and better health for all involved.
Francisco Salado – president of the provincial council – unveiled the “Anímate” programme alongside Juan Antonio de Luque, president of Malaga Veterinary College. He explained that this initiative is designed not only to fight unwanted loneliness but also to address the issue of abandoned pets.
The name Animate is a clever play on words combining ‘animal and ‘cheer up’, (“animal” and “animate”), reflecting the mood boost the programme offers to participants.
Helping Hands for People Looking to Bag a Furry Best Mate.
This paws-itively brilliant project offers all the guidance and support adults need to take the plunge and responsibly adopt a pet.
Salado shone a light on the shocking stats: nearly 75,000 pensioners over 60 are living solo across the province, while a staggering 2,500 pets are sat patiently waiting to be scooped up into loving arms. Could this be the start of something beautiful?
Among the positive effects, Salado mentioned that having a pet gives people a sense of purpose, encourages them to exercise, helps maintain routines, promotes social interaction, and reduces stress and feelings of loneliness. These factors translate into tangible health benefits. Studies show that living with a pet can help lower high blood pressure and reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
To support the programme, a series of workshops on awareness, guidance, and support will be held, highlighting the importance of animal protection and the advantages of living with pets. These workshops form part of the broader project ‘Our Elderly Never Alone: Connected with Family, Social Environment, and Public Social Services’, funded by the EU’s NextGenerationEU initiative.
Malaga Veterinary College will handle the delivery of pets from shelters to their new homes, as well as all the necessary paperwork, including microchipping, vaccinations, and deworming.
Anyone over 65 in the province can take part in this initiative at any time of the year, and it’s completely free of charge. Interested residents can call the Support Hotline on 900 92 30 92 or email [email protected], providing their details, reasons for wanting to adopt, and whether they prefer a dog or a cat.
The information is then sent to the Veterinary College, which will contact the applicant to complete an adoption questionnaire. The College will then search for a suitable pet at municipal animal protection centres and local shelters across the province.
Once a suitable pet has been identified, photos or videos of the animal will be shared with the adopter for approval. The Veterinary College will carry out a health check on the pet at the shelter and handle the administrative tasks before coordinating the pet’s delivery to its happy new home.
Salado emphasised that “supporting our elderly population is a priority for this government,” with a special focus on those living in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents. He added, “The way we treat our older generation speaks volumes about our society, as we owe them for everything we have today.”
Truer words never spoken.
