[TexKan]

Japan opens nursing home for old dogs
(6/14/07 - TOKYO, Japan) - Japan has a new nursing home for a swiftly graying population -- dogs.

The country's first nursing home for dogs comes with round-the-clock monitoring by veterinarians and a team of puppies to play with the aging pooches to help them keep fit, a pet products company said Wednesday.

Owners pay $800 a month to keep their dogs at the Soladi Care Home, which opens Friday, according to a joint release by Soladi Co. and the Endo Veterinary clinic in Tochigi, eastern Japan.

The home can accept 20 dogs at a time and will feed them specially fortified food.

Researchers say that a boom in pet ownership in Japan, coupled with better health care and a more balanced diet, has led to a surge in elderly pets in Japan.

That has spurred doting owners to turn to vitamins, aromatherapy and even acupuncture to help their companions through their old age.

Hell we got humans that aren't treated this good in old age!