ALL SNUGGLES AND SMILES.Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Special to the Daily News LANCASTER -- Vera Pierre smiled as she gently petted Banded, a 7 1/2-week-old St.Bernard-shepherd mix puppy who sat in her lap at the Mayflower Mayflower, ship Mayflower, ship that in 1620 brought the Pilgrims from England to New England. She set out from Southampton in company with the Speedwell, Gardens Convalescent con·va·les·cent adj. Relating to convalescence. n. A person who is recovering from an illness, an injury, or a surgical operation. convalescent 1. pertaining to or characterized by convalescence. 2. Hospital reception lounge. Pierre, 93, was among about 40 residents of the west Lancaster facility visited Thursday by pets from a local animal shelter "Dog Pound" redirects here. For the rap group, see Tha Dogg Pound. An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats. . The county's Department of Animal Care and Control outreach program arranged visits to Mayflower Gardens and a handful of other Los Angeles area homes for seniors. Pierre said it was hard to let go. ``I usually sit in my room all day. I didn't want to come down at first, but one of the nurses talked me into it, and I'm glad they did.'' County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San , who established the program 15 years ago, also visited Mayflower Gardens on Thursday. ``Outside of their staff, this is the only interaction some of these people have,'' Antonovich said. Antonovich said he developed a sense of compassion for the plight of the elderly while working to develop a hotline to report abuse of seniors. He said caring for animals is a tradition that runs deep in his family. ``My father worked in construction and he took care of many abandoned cats, so I guess it's carried over from one generation to the next,'' he said. Banded was among three pet visitors at the Lancaster facility. Frosty, a 3 1/2-month-old domestic shorthair short·hair n. Either of two breeds of shorthaired cats, characterized by a slender muscular body, large head, broad muzzle, and large round eyes. kitten, and Bella, a 3-year-old Chihuahua mix, also offered some affection. Bella is an outreach companion for Animal Care and Control and frequently visits area schools. Michelle Roache, the department's deputy director of enforcement and outreach, said her department's mission is educating the public about animal overpopulation overpopulation Situation in which the number of individuals of a given species exceeds the number that its environment can sustain. Possible consequences are environmental deterioration, impaired quality of life, and a population crash (sudden reduction in numbers caused by . But Thursday's event was more about ``spreading the happiness that we provide to the community,'' Roache said. Several of the Mayflower Gardens residents' faces lighted up when the pets sat in their laps. ``It's fun to see the little ones,'' said Patricia McCarter, a 72-year-old woman who suffers from Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease or Parkinsonism, degenerative brain disorder first described by the English surgeon James Parkinson in 1817. When there is no known cause, the disease usually appears after age 40 and is referred to as Parkinson's disease. . ``They brighten up the day and make it worthwhile.'' Lucille Morrow, 92, said: ``It's very nice. I love cats and dogs Cats and Dogs A slang term referring to speculative stocks that have short or suspicious histories for sales, earnings, dividends, etc. Notes: In a bull market analysts will often mention that everything is going up, even the cats and dogs. .'' gideon.rubin@dailynews.com (661) 267-7802 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Lilah Riddle, 96, above, hugs Frosty, a 3 1/2-month-old kitten, on Thursday when pets from the county's Department of Animal Care and Control outreach program visited residents of the Mayflower Gardens Convalescent Hospital in Lancaster. At top, Edna Wessling, 92, pets Banded, a 7 1/2-week-old St.Bernard-shepherd mix. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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