Somerby receives award for Tail Waggers

The International Council on Active Aging has recognized the Tail Waggers program at Somerby at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen with its 2011 Innovators Award. The award recognizes creativity and excellence in active aging.

Members of Troop 119 from the Church at Brook Hills established the intergenerational Tail Waggers program in 2011. The Scouts include residents at all levels of care from Somerby at St. Vincent’s One Nineteen in cooking up dog treats to assist animal shelters in the area. To date, more than 20,000 dog treats have been shared with canines in animal shelters in Jefferson and Shelby Counties through this on-going program.

“The treat making helps the residents with memory, physical hand to eye coordination and it gives them a sense of helping others,” said Andrew Tucker, the lead Scout on the project. Scouts working in the canine cooking project are from Hoover, Oak Mountain and Spain Park high schools as well as private schools in the area.