Humane Society now part of national program that supports seniors adopting a pet

LACONIA — New Hampshire Humane Society has been selected as a new partner with Pets for the Elderly, a national nonprofit organization that pays a portion of the fee for senior citizens age 60 and over to adopt a companion dog or cat from a participating animal shelter.

Pets for the Elderly recently expanded its grant program to include animal care assistance to seniors at any of its participating shelters who apply for the grant.

“We are thrilled to have the New Hampshire Humane Society join our network,” said Susan Kurowski, executive director of Pets for the Elderly. “Their strong presence providing both animal refuge and care as well as community services and education makes them an excellent partner as we work to expand the availability of our program in Wisconsin.”

Pets for the Elderly was established in 1992 by the late Avrum (Avvy) Katz, who had the vision of providing companionship to senior individuals through pet ownership, while saving the lives of companion animals in shelters.

In 2021, the program achieved 100,000 adoptions, facilitated since the organization expanded nationally in 2002.

New Hampshire Humane Society Executive Director Charles Stanton explained, “We have been working on numerous new projects to reach underserved, overlooked community members."

He added, "Sadly, senior citizens are among the most marginalized and underrepresented demographics in the country. Similarly, senior pets are all-to-often overlooked for adoption despite having a lot of love to give. It just makes sense to us that we would acknowledge both issues by being solutions-focused on each important cause."

With this initiative, Pets for the Elderly will support the adoption fee of senior citizen adoptions, and New Hampshire Humane Society will reduce or waive adoption fees for senior animals to ensure they find loving families. "Kindness and love drive this decision, and I am so proud of this program at New Hampshire Humane Society,” Stanton said.

Recognizing the many well-documented health benefits of pet ownership for seniors, Pets for the Elderly is currently the only national organization matching shelter animals with senior citizens and works with 57 participating shelters in 35 states — shelters that are not only dedicated to saving the lives of animals but also committed to supporting and implementing the PFE mission.

New Hampshire Humane Society is located at 1305 Meredith Center Road. A nonprofit animal welfare organization focused on saving homeless abandoned and abused animals and getting them to loving homes, the organization assists struggling pet owners to keep their pets by offering services and resources to keep families together. 

Hampshire Humane Society offers programs and services to prevent neglect, abandonment and euthanasia of pets due to a lack of basic pet care resources in the communities it serves.

In addition to its veterinary and spay/neuter program funded by the Lewyt Family Foundation, New Hampshire Humane Society offers a pet supplies pantry and recurring “Community Day” partnering with municipalities to distribute food and supplies to thousands of families each year.

The organization also offers pet housing for domestic violence survivors as well as a variety of other programs, services and resources to help community pets and their families.

New Hampshire Humane Society facilitates regular public vaccine clinics and recently founded MY BEST FRIEND: a public pet clinic. The goal of these programs is to make pet care more accessible and ensure pets stay with loving families.