Trillium Court in Kincardine encourages pet-friendly atmosphere

Trillium Court Seniors' Community in Kincardine is not only a welcoming home for the elderly, but for their pets as well.

Three current residents brought their dogs and a cat with them when they moved into the facility, and the home, itself, now has its own dog, "Lucky."

Laura Bonnett moved to Trillium Court March 3, 2014, and brought her dog, "Sophie," and her cat, "Sammy," with her.

"We live in the independent-living area," says Laura, "and we walk around here, and we go outside for walks as well."

"Sophie" is about 12 years old, and Laura has had the Sheltie-Border Collie cross for nine years.

"We lived in a cottage, just off the B-line, for 25 years," says Laura. "I couldn't give up Sophie when I came here. It meant a lot to be able to bring her to Trillium Court. That's why I'm here. She has been well-received; she loves people. She likes to be petted; she's a good, little dog."

Laura takes "Sophie" for a 45-minute to an hour-long walk in the mornings, and then again in the afternoons. "She's a member of the family; I wouldn't want to be without her. She's my friend."

Patricia Harker moved to Trillium Court from Stratford in June, 2014, and was able to bring her poodle, "Cody," who is 14 years old.

"I've had him since he was eight," she says. "His former owner had to give him up because he was moving to long-term care. My daughter saw that he was available through the Owen Sound SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). We brought him home for a weekend and never sent him back."

Patricia says she would not have moved to Trillium Court if she coudn't bring "Cody."

"It's worked out well," she says. "He's a good boy. I have a dog-walker who comes every day at 12:30 p.m. and takes him for a long walk. Then I take him for shorter walks around here, and we go for drives, down to the lake - it's beautiful there."

Linda Delaney, a Trillium Court resident, has a cockapoo named "Sophie."

Meanwhile, the seniors' community also has a new resident dog, "Lucky," who came from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Lifestyle consultant Heike Boettcher says a friend of hers moved there and found the little dog about eight months ago in a garage.

"He was living on the street, only about three months old and had a broken leg and hip," says Boettcher. "My friend took him to a local veterinarian who wanted to amputate the dog's leg but she convinced the vet to try and save it. The vet called an orthopedic surgeon at the Puerto Vallarta Hospital and they managed to repair and save his leg."

Her friend brought "Lucky" to Canada last week and, somehow, Boettcher ended up with him.
 

"His new job is to visit with the residents here at Trillium Court and bring us all some joy and laughter," she says. "He is a very happy pup and spends his days getting free belly rubs. He will be here Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for a trial period to see how he does."

So far, things have gone well, says Boettcher. "We have a few residents in long-term care who couldn’t bring their dogs with them, so 'Lucky' gets to spend some time visiting with them. He seems to be fitting in quite nicely."