HALIFAX, N.S. — Seniors who can't get outside to walk their dogs during the COVID-19 crisis are getting help from a small army of volunteers across the province.
ElderDog Canada — a charity “dedicated to aging people, aging dogs, and the important connection they enjoy” — has hundreds of people in Nova Scotia taking hounds for a stroll when their owners can't get outside.
“Last week I walked dogs four days out of the seven,” said Trish MacCormack, a retired RCMP inspector who volunteers with the organization.
“I love dogs and I have a special heart space for seniors. So I get to combine two of my passions in one by giving back to the community.”
Before the pandemic started, the service was aimed at seniors who weren't physically able to walk their dogs. Demand could increase now that older people are worried about going out and potentially contracting the coronavirus.
“We're doing our best to keep our distance from them,” MacCormack said of the seniors whose dogs volunteers take for a stroll.
“We put measures in place so that we're not having contact with them. … We'll call them just before we arrive and they'll put their dog out on their deck so we don't have to have any contact with the senior.”
Volunteers even bring their own leashes, said ElderDog Canada founder Ardra Cole.
“We're taking every precaution to minimize any direct contact whatsoever – to practise safe physical distancing,” said Cole, who lives in Feltzen South, Lunenburg County.
Serving the community
MacCormack, who retired almost five years ago as the RCMP's head of major crime in Halifax, said she really misses being on the force right now.
“After 25 years in policing I'm accustomed to adapting to the unknown and these critical situations. I miss serving Canadians as an RCMP member. But volunteering with ElderDog, especially during this pandemic, I feel like is my way of serving my community. It's fulfilling to see how much joy we can bring to the dogs. They're so excited when we show up to walk them. And the seniors are so appreciative. They must thank us 30 times after you bring them back.”
She lives in Hubbards, but has mainly been driving to Halifax for the volunteer gig.
“I absolutely love it,” MacCormack said. “I can't explain how much joy it brings me. I'm almost speechless. It just feeds my soul.”
MacCormack sometimes takes her tiny Maltipoo, Lily, along for the stroll.
“If the other dog is friendly, then Lily comes with me.”
The volunteers can even restock dwindling dog food supplies and take ailing hounds to the vet if necessary.
Now that parks and beaches are closed due to the state of emergency, MacCormack said walks would be more limited in scope. “It will be just sticking to the sidewalks and the roads around where (the seniors) live.”
Hundreds of volunteers
ElderDog Canada has about 500 volunteers in Nova Scotia and 1,400 across the country organized in “pawds,” Cole said. But a lot of their contact with the seniors they serve is now happening over the telephone.
“We have relationships with the seniors we support. A little visit and a cup of tea is usually what happens,” she said. “But in this case, there's no cups of tea and the visits are taking place by phone.”
Cole — an education professor at Mount Saint Vincent University who studies seniors and dogs – said ElderDog is always looking for new volunteers.
“In Nova Scotia in particular, we're at one end of this. We're just at the beginning, and we anticipate that our need for foster families, temporary homes, and for people who are comfortable (walking seniors' dogs) — that need is going to grow on a temporary basis. So we are certainly in need of people who are willing to help.”
The organization's toll-free number is 855-336-4226. People who want help or to volunteer can also email [email protected].
