Can a college student really help a dog, cat or other pet keep from getting arthritis or degenerative joints in pets? That’s the question being asked by the Humane Society in certain locales around the country. And more than being asked, plenty of locations – college campuses in particular – are answering with a big yes.
Local chapters of the Humane Society are reporting positive feedback and results of their adopt-a-pet for a day programs aimed at college students. The program has plenty of benefits on both sides. For the students, it gives them a chance to learn responsibility in caring for something other than themselves, and it also serves as a stress reducer. Students still may not be mature enough to fully adopt a pet, but this type of program allows them to learn how to care for a pet at a slower rate. Some students take the opportunity to learn other life skills and even turn the experience into a career opportunity.
For the pets, they get plenty of love and affection from the students. More importantly, though, they’re able to escape the confines of the cage for a day and get much-needed exercise, which is a critical factor in keeping arthritis and other degenerative joints in pets at bay.
Degenerative joints in pets can be extremely dangerous and unhealthy. It can lead to worsening overall health, shorten life span and even prevent adoption. Dietary supplements like FlexPet help reduce degenerative joints in pets, and the FlexPet for Shelters program allows pets to have a better chance at adoption after getting nursed back to good joint health. Shelter pets with degenerative joints typically display a lack of energy prompting many would-be adoptive families to overlook them in favor of healthier pets.
The Humane Society’s program makes it easy for students to adopt a pet for a day. Come on in and sign a pet out. All they ask is that students take good care of the pets and return them before then close of business for the shelter. There are even volunteer positions available for students that wish to play a more active role in helping the pets a few times each week.
“I had so much fun with the dog I was with for a day,” said Casey, a student at a Florida university. “We wet to the park and ran all around with some of the other dogs. It was a really fun day and I’ll certainly go back and play with other dogs for a day.”
Dog arthritis and pet arthritis continue to plague dogs and other pets in an adverse way. Pets with arthritis often live shorter life spans because they get less exercise, put more pressure on internal organs and generally have more pain in their lives.
Learn more about FlexPet or the FlexPet for Shelters program and start reducing degenerative joints in pets today.
