Aging Dogs, Aging People
Losing your 4-legged best friend can be one of the most difficult things to experience. Because of their shorter life span than humans, that is often the case. However, it can go the other way around. The dog may also lose their human through illness or death and their lives drastically change to a whole different environment. Unfortunately, it is likely a shelter if family members are unable to care for the dog. Organizations like ElderDog not only have a mission of re-homing dogs in these cases, but they also support elders in taking care of their dogs so they are not put in a position to let their dog go. Our guest for this episode is Dr. Ardra Cole, Executive Director of ElderDog Canada, a national charity dedicated to ageing people and ageing dogs.
BIO:
Dr. Ardra Cole is a Professor at Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
and Founder and Executive Director of ElderDog Canada–a national charity dedicated
to ageing people and ageing dogs. Her research focuses on the meaning of dogs in
seniors’ lives and the role of dogs in continuing care. She also has extensive experience
in animal-assisted therapy and pet loss bereavement. Ardra has published extensively,
including two books on dog-human relationships and her work has received national
attention through radio, TV, and print media. Ardra has received a number of awards for
her work including the 2015 Urban Animal Innovation Award for the creation of
ElderDog Canada, the 2020 Progress Club Halifax Citadel Women of Excellence Award
(Trailblazer), and the 2021 Mount Saint Vincent University President’s Award for
External Service. Ardra lives in Nova Scotia with her two beloved dogs.