Seniors Relish Pets and Hot Dogs

If there was a belle of the ball, it was Roxette, a Shih Tzu mix, rescue dog who lives on the fourth floor of Oakton Pavilion. She drew applause wearing her pink party dress.

The scene played out at Oakton Place Retirement Community, a two-building facility on the street with the same name. Residents from Oakton Pavilion, a nursing home, and Oakton Arms, an independent living facility, lined up, cheering on the participants in the third annual Pet Parade, held in late August.

The event is part of the center's programming, which includes the July Jamboree, Dancing Under the Stars and the upcoming Bingo for the Birds on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13., which is open to the public and so popular according to Director of Marketing and Admissions Brendan Krahl that sometimes a third day is added to the event.

Roxie walked away with the most unusual dog award -- an appropriate distinction because Roxie has free run of the place and makes daily rounds to the residents alongside the newspapers and medication carts.

Seven dogs and their escorts walked down a red plastic runway for a crowd of about 100 senior citizens and other community members.

"Most of us are in a routine. You get up, you brush your teeth, you put your shoes on," said Jay Lewkowitz, executive director of the retirement community. "So in our programming we try to throw a loop into the normal programming."

In the Pet Parade, winners in four categories had a donation made on their behalf to the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). Ribbons were awarded for smallest dog, biggest dog, best trick and most unusual dog.

Resident Ginny Lotz particularly enjoyed watching and interacting with Jackpot, a German Shepherd dressed up as a construction worker. She had owned a dog of the same breed named Fritz, who she purchased from a Des Plaines family.

"My husband and I had a very obedient dog who traveled with us, was well-behaved," Lotz said. "Everybody loved him, and when he passed away some friends even sent us a dozen long-stem red roses."

Dan Metzger, the master of ceremonies, also leads residents in weekly drumming circles, outdoor gardening. He announced the proceedings with a light-hearted sense of humor and quipped that there would be a category for "the dog most likely to become our next governor."

Metzger, who is also the center's chaplain, said events like the Pet Parade are wonderful because they help facilitate a sense of community among the residents in the two buildings.

"The more well elders are able to be caregivers themselves," Metzger said. "So when their friends here might have a fall, they then go over and visit and do their own type of care giving.

"Many of them are very good about doing that," he added. "They go over to visit and take little gifts and cards and things when their friends have to go over here to do rehabilitation."

Dogs have had a presence at Oakton Place since the 1980s when the second building, Oakton Arms, was opened. But in 2008 Oakton became a certified PAWS foster home. It has only fostered one dog so far though, Roxie, because residents insisted on adopting her.

"It's obvious there are two things that really work extremely well with seniors, and that's kids and dogs," Lewkowitz said. "You want a sure-fire smile, you want a sure-fire laugh? You want to up somebody's appetite or their reason for living? That's what it is. So we just work on that."