Community pet helps resident navigate loss

The grieving process is unique to each person who experiences loss. To Jerry Jauron, it's best handled privately, stoically, and rationally. He doesn't like to talk about the loss earlier this year of his wife, Susan. He's a quiet man, thoughtfully taking in his surroundings, blending in with others who are going about their routines.

One thing sets Jerry apart, though: Most mornings, he has an appointment.

He knows Gigi will be waiting for him.

"There she is," Jerry says on a Friday morning as Gigi approaches him. He offers a treat to Gigi and her "sister," Coco, from a plastic bag set in front of him on the round table. Both accept eagerly, and Jerry smiles.

"Every day, it gets a little better," he says. "I guess you could say Gigi has helped with that." 

Gigi is a sheepadoodle that belongs to Teresa Krueger (pictured with Jerry above), executive director at Brio of Johnston, a WesleyLife community north of Des Moines. Jerry, a resident at Brio for the past two years, had been buying treats for the two pets for several months when he approached Teresa with a request.

"I'd sure like to walk them," he proposed.

Deciding an extra walk a day would benefit Gigi, Teresa placed a harness on the smaller of her two dogs and handed Jerry a leash.

"From then, it's been just about every weekday," Teresa says. "Gigi looks for him. It's become their routine."

Pets at WesleyLife

Pets are an important part of WesleyLife's organizational culture; research demonstrates interaction with animals can benefit older adults in myriad ways. Residents are encouraged to bring their pets with them when they move to campus, and leaders like Teresa often bring their own pets to work.

In addition, many communities have adopted pets who serve as "mascots" for the campus, with residents and team members assigned to various care tasks. And it's not unusual for communities to welcome visits from nearby goats, pigs, ducks, and other farm friends. 

"There are so many studies out there about all the good things owning a pet, or even being exposed to a pet, can do," Teresa says. "They can lower our blood pressure, help with stress, encourage exercise, and just love unconditionally. We love having them here at Brio; they're part of our culture." (She adds, however, that out of respect for residents who are not animal lovers or are allergic, pet owners are asked to confine their furry friends to certain areas of the community.)  

Jerry doesn't say much about what pets in general — or Gigi in particular — mean to him. But the way he interacts with the little dog provides a hint.

"She's scared of the traffic, so we go a certain way so that she feels safe," he says during a walk around Brio's garden-filled grounds. "She likes the quiet." They both enjoy greeting other residents they encounter, though, with Gigi looking up to make sure Jerry is at the other end of the leash.

Gigi's magic

Some of the ways Gigi benefits Jerry's life are practical; he tries to achieve 5,000 steps a day, and walking Gigi can end up accounting for half of those.

But she helps in other ways as well; as the little dog stops to sniff some plants in a memory garden, Jerry has the opportunity to tell a visitor a little about his wife, in whose honor the garden was planted. When they're back in the building, the little dog leads a visitor to a hallway where Susan Jauron's artwork is displayed. 

In the community's foyer, Gigi stops at tables that are occupied by residents reading the paper, chatting before exercise class, or grabbing a coffee or a bite to eat. From his pocket, Jerry proffers treats for the residents to give Gigi, and the humans exchange pleasantries.

"It helps, being here," he says. "Everyone has had their losses, so they don't want to hear about mine, and I'm a private person anyway. But it just helps to have people close by to talk to about other things."

Soon, Gigi begins looking for her "mom," Teresa. Jerry finds Teresa in a conference room where she's meeting with team members, and he quietly hands her Gigi's leash and begins to shut the door. As he departs, Gigi peeks her head around the door, watching her friend walk away.

She knows he'll be back tomorrow.