Milt Lessner is 104 years old, and one thing has stayed the same throughout his very long life: he’s almost always had a dog.
Because of that, Lessner believes that dogs are the secret to longevity:
“I enjoy the familiarity with them, and the pleasantness, and the bonding – especially the bonding,” Lessner told BBC News.
Lessner is a retired psychiatrist, and he often brought his dogs to work with him. There, he saw how amazing dogs were at calming down patients. He saw firsthand how good dogs were at being companions.
Unfortunately, a few years ago Lessner lost both his wife and their beloved dogs. When Lessner was ready, he decided he wanted to adopt a shelter dog who needed a loving home. Lessner had great references and had volunteered at shelters before, but it didn’t matter. Because of his age, nobody would adopt a dog out to him.
Lessner did some research and found a California-based rescue group called Lionel’s Legacy. This organization helps senior dogs find fur-ever homes. Lionel’s Legacy introduced Messner to an eight-year-old corgi/dachshund mix named Layla.
Animal Control found the dog wandering around on the streets of San Diego. Even though she had been living on the streets, she was in good health except for an infection in her uterus. The animal shelter did emergency surgery, and thankfully Layla recovered quickly. Lionel’s Legacy heard about the dog and decided to take her in.
When Laura Oliver, the founder of Lionel’s Legacy, heard Messner’s story, she knew even-tempered Layla was the right dog for him. Oliver agreed to let Messner foster Layla for as long as he was able to.
“In no time at all, we were quite friendly with each other,” Messner says. “She’s very conciliatory and very agreeable. We’re trying to stay in good health, both of us. So far, we’ve succeeded and we’re still alive.”
Messner and Layla have now been together for almost two years.
The two enjoy cuddling together, and they like simply relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. Layla is very sweet and mellow, and she loves nothing more than spending time with her best buddy Messner. The love Messner and Layla share can be clearly seen in photos of the two of them together.
“You can tell they’re both smitten,” Oliver told BBC News.
Layla and Messner are a sweet pair who understand each other well and fit into each other’s lives perfectly. We’re so happy that these two found each other!
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