JUNE 2026 FEATURE
GROWING OLDER TOGETHER: PETS, AGING, AND SAFETY A few weeks ago, feeling very good about walking for my health and wellness, I set out on my regular path with my trusty little white dog: Blanche. What began as an ordinary walk quickly turned stressful. A neighbor’s dog became reactive and difficult to control, and in the chaos that followed, the dog got loose from a harness; the owner fell while trying to help, and poor Blanche ended up in surgery. In the hours after the event, I learned the woman had rescued the dog only two days prior. Neither she nor her neighbor, who was helping her walk the dog for the first time, were strong enough to control the dog. Both had health issues and were older adults, so keeping a young, larger dog on the porch ended up being harder than they thought.
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ASK THE EXPERT: WHEN HEALTHCARE BECOMES A BATTLE
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