When HSHV launched Friends for Life in the spring of 2023, the goal was to provide services and resources that could help protect the bond between people and their companion animals, particularly for senior pet owners. As word about our newest program spread, one thing was clear: there was a need for dog walking support, especially during Michigan’s colder months. In winter 2025, Friends for Life launched our first winter dog walking program at a local senior apartment complex in Ann Arbor, and due to its success, the program is back for 2026! 

This year’s program kicked off in mid-January. HSHV’s Friends for Life Program Coordinator, Kate Holcomb, LLMSW, and Karen Patterson, Vice President of Volunteers and Humane Education, first met with canine enrollees to learn their needs and personalities for the 12-week program. Walks are led by Friends for Life volunteers and take place twice a week, getting each pup outside for 15–20 minutes.  

The bi-weekly visits provide socialization and enrichment for pups like Frankie (pictured right), but the Friends for Life winter walking program is so much more than just a potty break. The walks give HSHV staff and volunteers an opportunity to see how human and canine clients are doing during the often-isolating months of winter. Friends for Life coordinator Kate also keeps in close touch with the apartment complex’s social worker, making sure any concerns are addressed.

“This program is so great,” says Frankie’s owner, a new enrollee this year. “Frankie has a lot of energy, and it’s hard for me to get outside when it’s so cold. He just lost his best friend in July, so I can tell he’s been lonely without his playmate.” 

During last year’s program, the Friends for Life team helped one canine participant get routine vet care, as well as a checkup for some common senior-dog ailments. When transportation was an issue, our team arranged reliable transport to and from the vet appointment, ensuring the pup could get the health care they needed. As an on-going resource, this apartment complex is also an off-site location for one of our Bountiful Bowls pet food pantries, making supplemental pet food accessible right inside the residents’ building.  

“For many senior pet owners, a visit from our volunteers might be the only social interaction they have that day. A 5-minute chat can do wonders for a person’s mental health, and the time our volunteers spend with the dogs gives them an opportunity to check in and see how the dog is doing while giving them some exercise,” says Kate, “If there’s anything we can help with, like scheduling a vet appointment or even a providing a warm coat for a short haired pup, we can make sure they get what they need.” 

Winter walking recipients can also receive free grooming for their pup, thanks to our incredible partnership with Sudsy Pup Spa, an Ann Arbor based dog groomer and generous HSHV supporter. Sudsy Pup Spa provides free grooming services once every 60 days to Friends for Life clients. Luckily for those in our winter walking program, Sudsy Pup Spa is located right across the street, making it convenient for clients to pop over and pamper their pup with a free bath, haircut, and nail trim.  

Over 12 weeks, Friends for Life staff and volunteers get to know clients and their pups well, forming friendships that warm the cold winter days.

“People can breathe easier knowing we care about their pets AND them,” says Karen Patterson, “I think we put a lot of effort into caring about the people and that makes Friends for Life so important to the community overall as a resource, support and compassionate organization.” 

Thanks to support from our HSHV community, Friends for Life can offer temporary hands-on assistance to pet owners in need, such as winter walking support, as well as provide free supplies and discounted-to-free vet care, helping keep pets in homes with the people who love them. For more information on Friends for Life, visit hshv.org/friendsforlife.