{"id":4643,"date":"2025-08-06T07:49:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T07:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.villages.com.au\/?p=4643"},"modified":"2025-08-06T07:49:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T07:49:57","slug":"claws-and-effect-pets-more-welcome-as-health-and-mental-benefits-for-residents-clear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.villages.com.au\/retirement\/claws-and-effect-pets-more-welcome-as-health-and-mental-benefits-for-residents-clear\/","title":{"rendered":"Claws and effect: Pets more welcome as health and mental benefits for residents clear"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4643\" class=\"elementor elementor-4643\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-afab683 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"afab683\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3b286f5\" data-id=\"3b286f5\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-43e3be7 elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"43e3be7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.15.0 - 20-08-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>O<strong>ver-50s land lease operator Vantage is taking a paws-itive approach to resident wellbeing \u2013 by making it easier for residents to bring their furry (or feathered) companions with them.<\/strong><\/p><p>As more evidence piles up showing pets improve mental health, reduce loneliness and even lower the risk of heart disease, communities like Vantage are leaning into the benefits.<\/p><p>\u201cOur dog is part of our family \u2013 bringing him was non-negotiable,\u201d said Vantage Hervey Bay resident Heike Duggin, whose three-year-old Staffy cross Riley made the move with her and husband Mick.<\/p><p>\u201cHaving a pet that loves you unconditionally and is always there when you come home \u2013 it\u2019s invaluable.\u201d<\/p><p>She added the local walking tracks keep both of them \u201cactive and happy\u201d.<\/p><p>In a recent agedcare101 newsletter, aged care provider Estia Health highlighted how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.agedcare101.com.au\/articles\/estia-health-reveals-the-magic-of-animals-in-aged-care\">even a visit from a friendly cat or therapy dog can transform someone\u2019s day<\/a>. Farm animals and even kangaroos are joining the line-up of regular visitors at some homes, offering residents a much-needed sense of connection and joy.<\/p><p>It\u2019s no surprise \u2013 studies show pets can help older people feel less anxious, make friends more easily, and even visit the doctor less often.<\/p><p>While some over-50s communities impose breed or weight limits, Vantage\u2019s policy is more flexible.<\/p><p>\u201cVantage is unique in welcoming any animal that meets council requirements,\u201d said AVID General Manager \u2013 Land Lease Communities, Manuel Lang.<\/p><p>\u201cMoving into a new community comes with big changes, so we want to make sure no member of the family is left behind \u2013 including the four-legged ones.\u201d<\/p><p>\u201cPets help break the ice, bring neighbours together, and build a stronger sense of community.\u201d<\/p><p>If you\u2019re considering a land lease or retirement community and want to bring your best friend, make sure you ask about the pet policy up front. Because sometimes the best medicine has four legs and a wagging tail.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over-50s land lease operator Vantage is taking a paws-itive approach to resident wellbeing \u2013 by making it easier for residents to bring their furry (or feathered) companions with them. As more evidence piles up showing pets improve mental health, reduce loneliness and even lower the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-retirement"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4643"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4648,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4643\/revisions\/4648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.villages.com.au/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}