LOWELL, Michigan — Crisp autumn mornings are here. But at Green Acres Senior Living in Lowell, it may as well be the dog days.
That's thanks to Janet Twesten and her three four-legged best friends.
"I'm a complete animal lover," said Janet, looking to the three leashes in her hand. "I've had them all since they were puppies.”
She walked all three dogs—Poppy, Ivy and Peter Pan —into the front doors of the facility.
While the name Green Acres sounds quite serene, this crew walking in is anything but.
“It’s rather awkward working with three," she laughed, propping the door open for the straggler, 12-year-old Peter.
“Good morning everybody!” Janet said as she walked into the lobby and took in the semi-circle of seniors in chairs and walkers. “Do we have any new faces today?”
Janet has been coming to nursing homes with her dogs for years. In return? She gets paid in companionship.
“It's been rewarding for the dogs. It's been rewarding for the residents. They always have a smile on their face," she said.
It all started when her kids volunteered at a local nursing home, playing their instruments for residents and doling out cookies and punch. But the kids grew up and started families of their own, and Janet changed her tune.
That's when, in her 70s, her dogs' blue-ribbon-worthy talent convinced her to turn that nursing home lobby into Westminster.
Now, once a month, Janet sings to her dogs while they dance for the crowd. Holds the foam hurdle while they hop over it. Refills the French Bulldog-shaped bubble maker while they chase after the suds, popping them.
All while the seniors cheer and coo over them.
“Some of the patients that really can't communicate all of a sudden start to they'll have a memory, and they'll start to talk, where maybe they haven't talked for weeks," said Janet.
“It makes them think about their past—good thoughts about their past," she said.
Dean Hyde, Green Acres resident, proves this true.
“I don't see them a lot like I used to. You know was growing up, I was always around animals," he said.
Ivy, the baby of the trio of dogs, was particular to Dean. She sat on his lap after the demonstration, drooling on his pant leg.
“You get a lot of enjoyment out of being around dogs," Dean smiled.
“The dogs are fun to watch, but the residents are even better to watch," said another resident, Ronda Morency.
Getting older can be lonely. Especially away from family and furry friends in a nursing home.
“Seniors are a forgotten part of our society,” said Janet.
It can be lonely, even for Janet. But loneliness can only take so much when Janet gives more.
“I'm 76 and over the last couple of years, I've lost so many friends," she said. “I'm in my house all the time. I'm talking to the dogs, but to come over here and talk with the residents... It brings me great joy."
Crisp autumn mornings may be here. But if you’re still looking for the dog days, Green Acres is the place to be.