A pawfect living situation for Estelle and her dog Amber Rose

Most people are fearful of leaving the known behind. It's a sentiment I could relate to when I moved into residential aged care at Bupa Clayton in Victoria. The fact that I was able to bring my dog, Amber Rose made my life complete.

Amber is a 10-year-old Cavoodle who I’ve had since she was a puppy. She is everything and really means the world to me. When Amber and I moved to Bupa Clayton five months ago she took to the care home like a duck to water!  So many people want to visit her. My room is one of the busiest in the home!

I was nervous at first, I didn’t know if Amber would like the home or the other residents. But all the residents love her, she’s an angel in dog form. Amber calms residents and staff, even people who have been scared of dogs in the past soon come to love her.

Amber walks through the home, visits with other residents, likes to stop and say hello to anyone who wants to give her a pat. If you asked her about life at Bupa Clayton, she would say she loves the social aspect of living here, going walkabout each day and visiting her favourite residents and staff.

There are always new people to meet and pet-friendly activities to do. The food here is great and I don’t have to cook. The carers and management are caring and wonderful and for the first time in years I can honestly say I don’t have a care in the world, thanks to the team at Bupa Clayton.

Bupa Clayton allowing pets was 100% a deciding factor for me to come and live here, if I couldn’t bring Amber, I simply would not have come.

Pet friendly aged care facilities are absolutely critical, as I believe pets enrich not only the life of the pet owner but the lives of the other residents.