A new partnership between the Council on Aging and the Humane Society of Central Oregon is helping to expand a program that supports low-income adults and their pets. Pet Pals began when the Council on Aging saw Meals on Wheels clients struggling to afford pet food and vet care. It launched in 2021 with 30 clients.
The program provides in-home veterinary care in Madras and Prineville for people enrolled in the Meals on Wheels program. Since spring, 15 in-home visits have been completed on 21 animals. Pets have received exams, vaccinations and preventative care. Pet Pals serves older adults in Bend, La Pine, Sisters, Madras and Prineville. The Redmond Senior Center has its own program for Meals on Wheels clients.
According to the Council on Aging, demand for Pet Pals is rising. Over the past year, the program has seen a 40% increase in clients, now supporting 163 clients and 242 pets. At the same time, funding has dropped 32%, with veterinary services hit hardest by these cuts.
“For people who are homebound, getting a pet to the vet can be especially hard and often expensive if in-home visits are needed,” Director of Communications and Programs Emma Fried-Cassorla told the Source. “We also know, both from our own experience and research from Meals on Wheels America, that many older adults will put their pets’ needs ahead of their own, and we didn’t want them to have to make that choice. We also consider Pet Pals to be one of our programs which addresses loneliness and isolation in older adults.”
“My pets keep me going,” reported one client, who was undergoing cancer treatment. “There were many difficult days in cancer treatment — just knowing I had their unconditional love and they needed me kept me going. I have to get up every day to keep them going. My cats have saved me.”
Another client told the Council on Aging, “Without it, we couldn’t keep our pets.”
A similar sentiment is shared over and over. “They are just wonderful. I just can’t say enough. I’ve never had someone come to my rescue. I’d have a real hard time on my income keeping these dogs.”
To qualify for the program, clients have to be 60+ years of age and homebound due to injury, illness or disability, with a lack of family or other support to access meals.
Each month, Pet Pals provides supplemental dog and cat food along with toys, leashes and bedding. Volunteers deliver supplies in Bend, Sisters and La Pine. It’s shipped to clients in Madras and Prineville. Basic veterinary care is provided such as wellness exams, vaccines, microchips, spay/neuter surgeries. Volunteers also transport Meals on Wheels clients and their pets when needed.
In addition to its new partnership with HSCO, the program partners with FIXbend, Wickiup Animal Hospital, Furry Friends Foundation and Heartwarmers. It also relies on community donations. Each partner plays a vital role in reaching clients throughout Central Oregon. FIXBend has been the longest Pet Pals partner, hosting a quarterly after-hours clinic for Meals on Wheels clients. Wickiup Animal Clinic works with pet owners in the La Pine area. Mini Pet Mart offers the program wholesale pricing and donations of returned or expired products valued around $2,500 a month. HCSO provides in-home veterinary care for clients in Madras and Prineville and donates excess pet food and supplies when available.
“This new partnership [with HCSO] is truly a game changer,” Fried-Cassorla says. “Bringing veterinary care directly into the homes of our homebound clients makes our efforts far more impactful. While we’re grateful to have dedicated volunteers who can transport clients to FIXbend clinics, there’s something especially powerful about being able to provide care right where a client lives, offering access they might not otherwise have.”
In the past year, Pet Pals has distributed 10,723 pounds of dog and cat food and $50,392 worth of food and supplies to people in need. The Council on Aging has launched a Food Fur All donation drive to help fill the gap in funding and supplies. More information can be found at councilonaging.org.
More Info:
100% of Meals on Wheels clients believe their pet brings happiness to their life.
Clients with pets reported higher social engagement with family and friends than clients without pets.
One in two Meals on Wheels clients reported being unable to access either preventative or sick/emergency veterinary care.
More than one in five report going without food themselves to feed their pets.
This article appears in Central Oregon Pets Fall 2025.
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