By Danielle Rexrode
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

When Candyce Del Bello and her husband Thomas were searching for a new home in a retirement community, finding a place that would accept their golden retriever Max was at the top of their list.

“We would have never chosen Oak Crest as our home if we weren’t allowed to bring Max,” says Candyce Del Bello. “Usually [in an apartment] there are weight limits, but the opportunity to have a large dog makes it a very pet friendly environment,” she says.

Four-legged friendly
With a combined total of 197 sprawling acres filled with large lakes, shady trees, and walking trails, Charlestown and Oak Crest have plenty of room for canine companions to stretch their legs on leashes.

Robert McKeever and his nine-year-old standard black poodle, Jenny, take advantage of the vast outdoor space Oak Crest offers. “We walk along the outer loop of the campus and have our favorite spot to play a good game of ‘catch ball,’” he says. “Jenny is a wonderful companion, and the other community members love her.”

Dogs aren’t the only furry friends welcome at Charlestown and Oak Crest. Cats, birds, and fish are just as popular. Anna DeBellis and her husband Walter share their home at Oak Crest with two cats: Feisty, a 10-year-old male, and Rusty, a 13-year-old female.

“They were both strays,” says Anna DeBellis. “They’ve been such great companions. They’re always there to greet us when we come home, calm us down if we get upset, make us laugh—they’re really like members of the family.”

A healthy combination
Aside from companionship, pets offer all kinds of health benefits for people. A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society demonstrated that independently living older adults who have pets tend to have better physical health and mental well-being than those who don’t. They’re more active, better with stress, and in better overall health.