A 92-year-old woman from Quebec was able to break through the “painful” isolation of the past few months thanks to the “comforting” contact of her cat and her two dogs.
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Animals have been a part of Florianne Barbeau’s life for a very long time, but their company has never been more important than it is now. Houston, a 13-year-old chihuahua, and Gladiator, a “6 or 7” schnauzer, keep the 90-year-old busy.
“I hardly ever go out and I can’t have a visitor. I am lucky that I have them ”, assures the lady, who still goes for walks with her companions and even takes them by car.
Listen to the reporter from Journal of Quebec Élisa Cloutier here
She adopted her first dog, also a schnauzer, in 1999, following the death of her husband. Since then, she has been unable to imagine a life without them.
The nonagenarian lives with her son, but his job means that he is not always at home.
“With them, I don’t feel alone. It’s my life, animals. The dogs are always with me. If I didn’t have the dogs, I wouldn’t be fine as I am, especially with the pandemic ”.
A thought for the elderly
Mme Barbeau can’t help but think of the seniors who live in seniors’ residences and who cannot have pets with them. She considers herself “lucky” despite everything.
“At least I’m home and I can go out into the parking lot with the dogs and walk them around a bit. If I didn’t have them with me, I would have a hard time getting through [le confinement]», She assures.
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