Rotary lends a Helping Paw to seniors and their dogs

The Rotary Club of Charlottetown has put up $2,000 to launch a project to help keep seniors and their dogs together.

A Helping Paw is an initiative of ElderDog, a national non-profit which has been operating on P.E.I. since 2014.

The Helping Paw project will help seniors in the Charlottetown area with financial support for vet care, food and grooming.

"There's a lot of scientific research out there that shows how important the human-animal bond is, and I think it really is particularly true when it comes to seniors," said Kelly Mullally of ElderDog.

"It makes a lot of difference in their physical health, in their mental health, and in their ability not to feel isolated. And the animals that live with seniors have a pretty good life too because they have a constant companion there all the time."

The ElderDog group is looking for seniors who are struggling with the care of their dogs and meet Revenue Canada's low-income guidelines.

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