Whether you are a senior human or a senior dog, you're at risk for loneliness. Today, two stories about how folks are building fun into the lives of the lonely. Zooming With Dogs Therapy dogs carry a license to visit folks in nursing homes and medical facilities ... but the pandemic put a stop to that. That left an opening for Unlicensed dogs to step in! Jennifer Bashford of Pets Together explains how her nonprofit connects dogs to seniors. It turns out that dogs are excellent virtual chatters! A Stitch in Time Can Save a Canine Sir Darius Brown is a teen entrepreneur with an instinct for marketing shelter dogs. His compassion for lonely seniors whose fate is dire prompted him to help them get noticed. How? Hand-sewn bowties, of course! He's helped 1,000 senior dogs dress to impress and attracted praise from Barack Obama. Listen to his story of how a simple fine motor skill exercise (sewing) launched a life of activism. The Hydrant Jim and Pam stop by the hydrant to sniff out the latest dog gossip, innuendo, jokes, and notes. This week, Wiggles settles into his new home after 11 years at the shelter … and weird science factoids about paw preferences. Chapters 3:31 Zooming with a Dog – Pets Together to Soothe Social Isolation 12:44 A Stitch in Time Can Save A Canine – Meet Sir Darius Brown 19:21 The Hydrant 23:18 On the Next Episode Jennifer Bashford – Pets Together Jennifer Bashford is Executive Director of Pets Together, a nonprofit offering free virtual pet therapy to individuals suffering from social isolation. She lives in the North Carolina mountains with her 5 special needs rescue dogs and her husband. She holds master’s degrees in both public policy and gerontology and has been involved in non-profit management for over ten years. Working with Pets Together is the perfect blend of all her passions. When she isn’t on a Zoom call with a long-term care facility, you can usually find her hiking or kayaking with one of her dogs. Follow Pets Together on Instagram @petstogethervisits And Facebook https://www.facebook.com/petstogether Sir Darius Brown Sir Darius Brown, the 14-year-old with a heart of gold is a powerhouse teen entrepreneur, speaker, philanthropist, animal advocate and founder of Beaux & Paws. He creates handmade stylish bow ties. In 2019, Sir Darius’s created the "PAW-SOME MISSION". The goal for the mission is to ship bow ties to and visit animal shelters in all 50 states. Upon visiting the animal shelters Sir Darius will be donating his bow ties personally, assisting with adoption events, and using his platform of over 50K followers on social media to highlight adoptable pets and give them even more exposure to help them find forever homes faster. https://www.sirdariusbrown.com/ Here’s What We Found at The Hydrant Wiggles the Senior Dog Finally Gets Adopted https://people.com/pets/dog-adopted-after-11-years-in-shelter-illinois/ Dogs Have a Hand (paw) Preference https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/dog-right-or-left-pawed/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices