Dogs have been “man’s best friend” since the beginning of time. Today about 90 million loyal companions live in American households. Whether they are a service animal, emotional support or simply a fur-member of the family they age, just as humans do. Humane Society surveys found that owning a dog can determine where people choose to live, the type of home they purchase and even whether they have children (Washington Post).
On average canines have a life expectancy of 7-16 “human” years depending on size, diet, and lifestyle. For many, arthritis can start having an effect on mobility at the age of 7. It is never easy to watch our loyal companion age; whiskers get greyer, mobility and navigating stairs becomes more challenging. Unsurprisingly, more and more people are considering modifying their homes to accommodate fur-members of the family.
In our experience home elevators aren’t just for humans anymore. One of our customers owned two aging dachshunds in an “upside down” beach house on the coast of Maine. After reviewing his elevator log, we found he averaged over 8,000 trips per year. When asked if he used his elevator a lot his response was, “Well, I do use it to take the dogs out”. Home elevators not only give ease of access in multi-level homes, but they also aid in simple life tasks such as bringing in groceries, bringing down the holiday decorations and “taking out the dog”.