22/03/2023
# # do all of these dogs have in common? If you guessed they're all pet care service dogs you're correct, but they're also all 50+ dogs!
The 50+ Program is almost certainly a unique project - not just to Sri Lanka, but anywhere - and is designed to help both people and animals. The idea is simple: the DCC provides financial assistance to older people (50 years+) and in return they agree to rehome and care for a DCC dog.
Poverty is still a big problem in Sri Lanka, and it's estimated that over 75% of the working population have no access to a pension or entitlement to social security benefits. This means that older people are often reliant on their families to provide for them, but what happens if they no longer have families, their families have moved away or the families themselves cannot afford to support their relatives?
This is where the 50+ Program comes in. A 50+ Partner can make a better life for themselves and at the same time benefit from the companionship of an animal. Having a dog to care for can help give them a new sense of purpose, and could be lifesaver for older people in rural communities that are socially isolated.
This is just another example of how ambitious the DCC project is and why it deserves your support - to bring about real change for animals in Sri Lanka, it's necessary to change the culture in which they must live. Encouraging and rewarding people that choose to rehome a rescue dog and care for them responsibly is something that takes time, effort and resources but the benefits are immeasurable.
For just 35€ you can sponsor a 50+ Partner and a DCC dog for one month, or you can sponsor on behalf of a friend or relative that cares about animals. To find out more just go to DCC50Plus and see if you would like to make a difference for animals *and* people in Sri Lanka 🙂
