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December 2015 News News page Archive
Banfield Charitable Trust
assists seniors with pet care


Washington-Morgan Community Action is assisting home delivered meal clients with purchasing food for their pets with the help of a grant from Banfield Charitable Trust. The funding has allowed 73 seniors to purchase food for a total of 67 cats, 58 dogs, and 14 birds.

The grant allows many seniors to keep their pets who would otherwise no longer be able to care for them. Something as simple as owning a pet can make a significant difference in a senior's quality of life. The benefits of having a pet include companionship, relaxation, increased feelings of security, and love and affection. Pets also help seniors to maintain a regular schedule when they have no other obligations or scheduled activities. Additionally, research has indicated that pets can lower blood pressure and improve other physiological functions.

Jerrie Caskins of Marietta can attest to the benefits of having a pet.

"I have one dog, and his name is Dexter," she said. "He is a very intelligent boy with a large vocabulary. I talk to him all the time. You can tell by his expression and his ears that he knows what you're saying."

Dexter makes a difference in Caskins' life by providing her with companionship.

"He and I are here alone all the time," she said.

Caskins is thankful for the pet food vouchers because they allow her to feed her dog a healthy food.

"He being my last dog, I guess, I feed him Iams, and it is just a really proper dog food," she said. "If they eat the Iams, you know that they've had a well balanced, healthy meal."

For Robin Nolan of Marietta, the Banfield Charitable Trust grant allows her to continue helping the pets she loves.

"It really helps us out a lot," she said. "Those pet food vouchers are life savers."

Washington-Morgan Community Action provides home-delivered meals to seniors living in Washington and Morgan Counties, Ohio, through the Senior Nutrition Program. Washington-Morgan Community Action is a non-profit community-based organization that serves both Washington and Morgan counties in Ohio.



Washington-Morgan Community Action Washington and Morgan Counties, Ohio


218 Putnam Street, Marietta, OH 45750 (740) 373-3745
50 W. Third Street, PO Box 398, Malta, OH 43758
(740) 962-3827