Pets can save older people from loneliness, help them maintain a healthy life, and assist with making friends\u00a0but just\u00a0because a retirement village says it welcomes pets it does not mean\u00a0is\u00a0pet friendly<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of our main purposes is to enable older people and their pets to stay together and if they want to move to make sure they can take their pet with them,\u201d says Averil Jarvis, the CEO of the pet charity the Cinnamon Trust<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cA pet is a heartbeat in the home. Someone to wake up with, go to sleep with, someone to talk to and someone who needs you. If you have a pet you are wanted and needed.\u201d<\/p>\n However she cautions that many\u00a0developments designed for older people\u00a0are not always pet-friendly<\/strong> retirement schemes. \u201cSo we go and inspect them. We have a register of the top 500 care homes and sheltered housing schemes and star rate them.\u201d<\/p>\n Paddy Brice, managing director of Richmond Villages<\/a>, says: “Richmond Villages fully appreciates the important role pets play in people’s lives. The companionship pets provide is invaluable. Across all five of our retirement villages, we have a number of pets in residence. If an owner’s mobility is causing difficulty with dog-walking or attending veterinary appointments, assistance will be arranged.\u201d<\/p>\n Richard Burrows, the owner of Danny House<\/a>, a stunning retirement home in Hassocks, West Sussex has more \u2018pets\u2019 than residents. \u201cWe have 300 ewes, five rams, eight pigs, 14 chickens, one Welsh collie dog and one pussy cat,\u201d he boasts. Richard is pictured at the top with one of his rams.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do encourage residents with apartments that have direct access to the gardens to bring their own pets, but if they don’t have a pet they\u00a0can take the pleasure from ours, without having the long term responsibility.”<\/p>\n In the summer the residents help bottle feed the lambs and the more active ones help with rounding up the sheep at shearing time.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving animals around is a great benefit to the residents. Most of them had pets when they were younger but now find it too big a responsibility now. Communal pets is a solution and brings everyone joy.\u201d<\/p>\n The Hanover Housing Association<\/a>, providers of rental and owner-occupier retirement accommodation welcome pets at all its 634 estates. \u201cPets offer valued companionship and research suggests pet ownership can also offer a range of therapeutic and health benefits, including low stress levels and reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes,\u201d says Tony Tench Retirement Housing and Property Director.<\/p>\n \u201cWe actively welcome pets. In fact, being pet-friendly<\/strong> is one of our selling points and we very rarely turn away a pet.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick Sanderson, the chief executive of Audley Retirement Villages<\/a>\u00a0says: \u201cKnowing that you can bring your pet is often one of the most important and reassuring aspects for potential buyers. We have always welcomed pets as they are often part of the family and a much loved companion.\u201d<\/p>\n