11 January 2010
Jonathan Djanogly has today voiced his support for The Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS) Pets for Life campaign, which allows elderly people to keep their pets when they move into sheltered accommodation or care homes. Mr Djanogly said; “Approximately one quarter of people over retirement age own pets and when they move into a care home and are not able to take it with them, it can cause significant anxiety at what is often a very distressing time already. Recent research has revealed that many care home complexes in Britain do not have a pet policy which means that elderly people are faced with no choice but to give up their pets and the proven health benefits that such interaction provides. As a first step, I have written to Huntingdonshire District Council to seek clarification on this matter.”