It’s unfortunately inevitable that life gets harder with age. While getting older presents people with a unique array of obstacles, having an extra support system can sometimes make enduring it all a bit easier. For some Aviva Valparaiso residents, this companionship takes the form of furry, four-legged friends. These pets have been a great source of comfort for their owners at the assisted living facility and have made a world of difference to the residents knowing they can take on whatever comes their way with their animal companions by their side.
Marcyann Himton was certain she wouldn’t be getting another pet after the heartbreaking experience of putting down the previous family dog. However, when her daughter came up to her with a question and a photo, Himton’s heart melted. She was presented with an offer she just knew she couldn’t refuse.
“We found him over the internet when my daughter had her surgery,” Himton said. “I had to put down another pet a couple weeks before and vowed no more dogs, but she found this one and said, ‘Mom, can I have him?’”
The Himton’s then adopted Teddy, a Maltese-Poodle mix who now spends his days living his best life with Himton in her apartment. He loves going for walks, where he nuzzles himself comfortably at the top of Himton’s walker so anyone who passes by can give him some well-deserved love and attention.
Having Teddy around has been a major positive influence in Himton’s mental health. Even when times get rough, Himton knows a bad mood won’t last long when she sees Teddy’s bright eyes and wagging tail.
“I enjoy the companionship he brings—you cannot get depressed with him,” Himton said. “He will do the same thing over and over if he knows it will make you laugh.”
Lorena Crisc shares that same feeling of companionship with her cat Jennifer Ellen, or Jen Jen. The two met a decade ago when Jen Jen’s owners were not interested in keeping any of the kittens from her litter. An all black cat, Jen Jen’s appearance might have unnerved some, but Crisc wasn’t intimidated in the slightest. She fell in love right away and knew for a fact that Jen Jen was meant to be hers.
“She was part of the litter that they were trying to get rid of, and nobody wanted the black cat,” Crisc said. “That’s when I just said, ‘Hey, she's mine,’ and we've been together ever since.”
Choosing the name was also a simple process. Crisc had it picked out from the very beginning, though she admitted her nickname came first before her full name was decided.
“She just looked like a Jen Jen to me, but we couldn’t do just that, so I said Jennifer Ellen is her official name, but mama calls her Jen Jen,” Crisc said.
Now Crisc and Jen Jen are partners in crime. A low maintenance friend, Jen Jen is easy to take care of, and Crisc greatly enjoys having Jen Jen around for company, especially since she lives alone.
“She's a good kid. She's never missed in the house, and it’s always clean and tidy,” Crisc said. “I love the company. She's a fantastic fit. I get lonely, but when I'm alone, she's usually right here with me.”
Ronald “Ron” Montague was going through a rough time after saying goodbye to the previous family dog whom he loved dearly. However, a trip to the Humane Society of Hobart quickly lifted his spirits when he saw a hound mix puppy who had an uncanny resemblance to the pet who was such an integral part of his family before.
“We had put her down, and then a couple months later I went up to the Humane Society to see if there's anything there. When I got there, she looked up at me, and I saw she had one brown eye and one black and gray eye just like Megan. I said for them to give me 20 minutes to go home and get my wife and make sure she’d be okay with it.”
Today, that hound is named Cuddles, and she has earned a top spot in Montague’s heart.
Cuddles has been a great source of comfort in the time she’s been with the Montague family. She was also the reason Montague chose to come to Aviva.
“She brought me here. This was the only place around here that would take the dog,” Montague said. “She keeps me company since my wife has passed away. We had her for about four years when my wife got sick, and she was there for the duration of that. She's been a good comfort.”
With her bubbly nature and always being down for a belly rub, Cuddles has become quite the celebrity at Aviva—everyone there absolutely adores Cuddles. Her outgoing personality has also made for some unforgettable stories as well.
“She got out one day and ran downstairs to the nurse's station, and my daughter was chasing her,” Montague said. “They had something going on down there, and you could hear everyone else say ‘Here comes Cuddles!‘ Everybody knows Cuddles.”
Another Cuddles also calls Aviva home—except this Cuddles happens to be a cat. Similar to Montague, Judy Kusmierz knew she was lacking something in her life after the loss of her dog, Max. She wanted another pet, but training a puppy became too much to take on at this point in her life. However, she had an idea, and contacted a close friend for some help.
“I went to my friend who I worked with for years at Pizza Hut who also volunteers at the Independent Cat Society near Michigan City. I called her and I said, ‘Can you see if you have any cats?’ Then she goes, ‘So let me see here, oh, about 300!’” Kusmierz said. “I told her to pick one, and she picked him and a couple others out and put them in a cage by themselves for me to meet.”
Kusmierz knew the minute Cuddles approached her that she found her new best friend and took him home immediately.
“He came right up to me,” she said. “It was like he knew this was my person. He poked his little head out through the bars. I think he was looking for freedom, and he found me, so I think it worked out. He was fixed already, he was trained already, and he's had all of his shots, too.”
Cuddles was shy at first when Kusmierz brought him home but quickly came out of his shell. Still, Cuddles can be a bit sneaky at times, so she likes to leave signs around her apartment for any unaware visitors. Now, though, he lives like a prince, the apartment overflowing with toys and a dish always stocked with food. Most days he can typically be found in his favorite place, the shower (but only when the water isn’t running).
Kusmierz noted Cuddles has been great to have around and has been one of her main sources of happiness while working to recover from a recent fall. Now, she can’t imagine life without him, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
For more information on Aviva Valparaiso, visit its website at avivavalparaiso.com.