Aging in Place with Pets℠
Treating You and Your Pets with Dignity and Respect
Although we've all heard the saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words", we think that this picture could be worth (at least) ten thousand words. It demonstrates our commitment to helping older adults and other vulnerable populations in the greater Burlington community to take care of their pets who motivate, and inspire, them to continue taking care of themselves.
I first met Blake [the Founder and Director of Aging in Place with Pets℠] and some of his wonderful Coaches after they started helping my neighbor who lives right across the hall from me. I had been wondering if, and hoping that, I could adopt a young cat or, even more ideally, a kitten, for quite some time. After we got acquainted, he called a few different organizations on my behalf to help me to find a kitten, and we were disappointed (but, unfortunately, not surprised) with some of their responses!
The organizations often completely disregarded my strong preference for a young cat simply because I'm an older adult, and they kept insisting that I adopt a senior cat instead. One comment that still bothers me is "You shouldn't have a kitten because you'll trip over them and fall" even though they never even met me in person. That is clearly ageist, in my opinion, since their comment was solely based on my age that was listed on my application.
I can't thank him enough for advocating for me since he, as an occupational therapist, could quickly refute the unfair assumption that I'm a "fall risk". He and his Coaches ended up not only helping me with adopting a young cat but also later a kitten. It's very important having them come over to my apartment to check on how my cats and I are doing because my cats mean the world to me. They periodically trim my cats' nails, which is especially helpful for me so I don't need to worry about them scratching me. We also love showing each other pictures of my cats as well as other cats and dogs that they see on a weekly basis.
I'm so proud to be part of this community of older adults whose pets greatly motivate them to stay independent. I've never had any children, and I can't say enough good things about this one-of-a-kind, born-out-of-necessity service. They helped me find my two furry friends who make me laugh as I watch them bounce around [my apartment] like ping pong balls [and] then they take a nap together!
The organizations often completely disregarded my strong preference for a young cat simply because I'm an older adult, and they kept insisting that I adopt a senior cat instead. One comment that still bothers me is "You shouldn't have a kitten because you'll trip over them and fall" even though they never even met me in person. That is clearly ageist, in my opinion, since their comment was solely based on my age that was listed on my application.
I can't thank him enough for advocating for me since he, as an occupational therapist, could quickly refute the unfair assumption that I'm a "fall risk". He and his Coaches ended up not only helping me with adopting a young cat but also later a kitten. It's very important having them come over to my apartment to check on how my cats and I are doing because my cats mean the world to me. They periodically trim my cats' nails, which is especially helpful for me so I don't need to worry about them scratching me. We also love showing each other pictures of my cats as well as other cats and dogs that they see on a weekly basis.
I'm so proud to be part of this community of older adults whose pets greatly motivate them to stay independent. I've never had any children, and I can't say enough good things about this one-of-a-kind, born-out-of-necessity service. They helped me find my two furry friends who make me laugh as I watch them bounce around [my apartment] like ping pong balls [and] then they take a nap together!
Participant in Tuesday and Thursday ProgramTeam Lucy and Gigi
What makes us unique
We truly, and undoubtedly, care about you and your pets. Our nonprofit organization was founded, and is directed, by one of the first occupational therapists, if not the first occupational therapist, to specialize in, and advocate for, helping older adults to take care of their pets.
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We have dramatically improved, and will continue to improve, many older adults' and their pets' lives in our community. We were featured in Seven Days — one of the most widely circulated newspapers in the State of Vermont — in "The Animal Issue" and "This Old State" Report for 2025.