New resident is the talk of the nursing home

Sammy is living the life in the nursing home after a successful career. He’s only been there a few months, but he’s known—and loved—by all.

He pads through the hallways, taking pats whenever offered and wags his tail in return.

Sammy the greyhound has been officially adopted by the Mt Lofty Heights Nursing Home in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. The facility allowed residents’ families to bring in pets for and even had chickens and guineas pigs in the past. But they wanted a pet residents could pet and bond with, says Director of Nursing Cindy Pitt to The Chronicle.

“Greyhounds are known for their quiet temperament, low maintenance and because they are so tall, the residents don’t have to bend down for their daily pats,” Pitt says. “Our families and staff say how nice it is to be greeted at the door by Sammy in the morning. He brings everyone together.”

Sammy has settled at Mt Lofty after a successful racing career at the behest of his owner, who wanted Sammy to have a new home in retirement. Pitt worked with the Greyhound Adoption Program to ensure Sammy was a good fit and develop a care plan for his feeding, walking and bathing. They decided Sammy should wear something bright to make him more visible to sight-impaired residents, so staff fashioned him with brightly colored vests and neck ties.

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.