I have a wonderful heartwarming story that proves how much pets can do for our health.
A few years back a gentleman (Mr. G) called to see if he could qualify to get a pet from Knox PAWS, he had been denied at several local shelter and rescues. He believed the reason was because he was wheelchair bound.
I qualified him and assured him his mobility challenges would not interfere with getting a pet. We went to a local shelter to look at a few dogs. As he rolled past the kennels, he stopped at one particular cage where a very timid and scared little dog sat shivering in the back. The shelter staff escorting us said "he is probably not a good choice; he is just so scared". Mr. G continued to sit there in front of the kennel. The little dog (Kyle) slowly approached the front of the cage, and eventually up to Mr. G's hand to smell of him.
Mr. G asked to meet Kyle privately and don't you know that little dog jumped right up into Mr. G's lap. It was as if Kyle understood the wheelchair and boundaries. Needless to say, Kyle went home with Mr. G.
About 10 months later Mr. G asked me to come and visit him and Kyle, but he wanted to meet outside and not in his apartment. I laughed and said, "I don't mind if your apartment is cluttered", he said "outside is better".
When I arrived, it was not hard to find Mr. G and Kyle, because they were STANDING (with a rollator only) in the front of the building. Standing, no wheelchair. Mr. G told me that he had been able to strengthen muscles and get up out of his wheelchair all because of walking Kyle multiple times per day. His doctor was amazed at his progress.
Mr. G and Kyle have both passed on but what a benefit Kyle was to Mr. G. And I would have to say that little scared dog in the kennel was happy to be saved by Mr. G
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Monica Brown
Knox PAWS and Feed-a-Pet Manager
CAC Office on Aging
Ross Building, 2247 Western Ave., Knoxville, TN 37921
PO Box 51650, Knoxville, TN 37950-1650
(865) 524-2786 | Fax: (865) 546-0832
monica.brown@knoxseniors.orgknoxseniors.org Facebook Instagram Twitter
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-07-2025 09:53 AM
From: Kaitlyn Davis
Subject: It's National Public Health Week!
Today we kick off National Public Health Week! Throughout this week we'll be celebrating and calling attention to everything that public health does for our communities. This year's theme is "It starts here"!
Public health starts right here, right now, with all of us. We call it PUBLIC health because it's not just about us as individuals. It is about us, our families, our friends, our communities, our animals, and our environment. And it's the responsibility of all of us! Did you know Americans live an average of 35 years longer today than they did when the American Public Health Association was founded 150 years ago? That's thanks to the efforts of many researchers, educators, and policy makers; but it's also thanks to all of you! Every decision you make leads to healthier individuals and communities. Every time you get a vaccine, avoid littering, follow safe driving guidelines, or vote for politicians who support healthy policies, you are making choices that benefit not only your health but that of your community as well!
Whether there's a specific issue within public health that you're particularly passionate about or you just want to learn more, this is a great time to do so! What topics should we discuss this week? What public health related questions do you have? I love talking all things public health and would love to hear from all of you this week!
I'm also here to share our Question of the Week: How do pets impact human health?
References:
nphw.org/themes-and-facts/2025-it-starts-here
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Kaitlyn Davis, MS, MPH
Research Associate
UTK Program for Pet Health Equity
TN
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