Once a month, the SASCO Senior Activity Centre in Choa Chu Kang receives a special visitor: a six-year-old dog named Kira. Under its owner's commands, Kira performs tricks like "attention" and "high-five," bringing laughter to the elderly. This is the "pet-assisted activity" that SASCO has been running for over a decade, using gentle animals such as cats, dogs, and rabbits to promote the emotional, physical, and mental well-being of seniors.
At SASCO's Choa Chu Kang Fengshan Senior Activity Centre in Singapore, this pet-assisted activity continues to infuse warmth and vitality into the lives of the elderly.
The core concept of the program is to use the companionship of gentle animals like cats, dogs, and rabbits to improve the health of seniors from emotional, physical, and psychological perspectives. This not only alleviates stress and improves mobility but also effectively stimulates memory and rekindles their sense of purpose and motivation in life.
And when this special day arrives, the SASCO Choa Chu Kang Fengshan Senior Activity Centre is filled with laughter and the cheerful barking of the "guest." This visitor is none other than six-year-old Kira, a fluffy, energetic little dog.
Its owner is 28-year-old tech consultant Hu Jiahui. With Hu's skilled commands, Kira acts like a little performer, obediently "standing at attention" (sedia) one moment, warmly giving "high-fives" to the elderly the next, and even performing a "playing dead" (bang) act, amusing the seniors to no end.
Hu Jiahui lives in a nearby HDB flat. Introduced by a neighbor, she began bringing Kira to the senior activity centre in early 2024, joining the special animal-assisted program as a "volunteer team."
This program has actually been running for more than ten years. It started with a rabbit that a volunteer happened to adopt, which began a wonderful journey. Now, besides dogs, the furry visitors to the centre also include cats and hamsters.
The companionship of small animals gradually melts the hearts of the elderly
Hu Jiahui says that the outgoing and food-motivated Kira is fully engaged during the one-hour interaction, as if it knows its task is to bring joy to the elderly.
The activity is designed with more than just interaction in mind. Hu Jiahui also designed a treasure hunt game where the elderly hold snacks tightly in their hands, and Kira uses its sense of smell to find them. Hu observed that this simple action effectively exercises the elderly's hand grip strength. She laughs, "Some seniors see Kira's cute look and soften, deliberately letting it succeed easily."
This pure companionship gradually melts the hearts of the elderly. Some seniors were initially reserved or even resistant to animals, but were ultimately touched by this simple love.
For Hu Jiahui, the monthly gatherings have long gone beyond obligation. She says with deep feeling, "Pets can play a more important role in society and contribute greater value. Kira is not just my pet, but a good friend to all the seniors in our community."
*This article is adapted from a September 2025 Lianhe Zaobao article "Furry volunteers warm the hearts of the elderly: community pet services in nursing homes"
