CLEARWATER, Fla. (WSVN) — Residents of a Florida senior living community were introduced to new cyborg companions.
The residents of Clear Bay Terrace Apartments in Clearwater were paired with the lifelike robotic cats and dogs at an adoption event held Tuesday.
The event was part of a joint initiative from Volunteers of America Florida, in partnership with Humana and Joy For All, to prevent loneliness in seniors.
“My goal is to get them out of that isolation, get them talking to other people, create a community of like, ‘Hey, you have a robotic cat? I have a robotic dog. Let’s get them together, let’s have some coffee and talk about it,'” said Housing Community Coordinator Mariah Cruz.
Residents were happy to receive their new furry friends and commended the effort.
“It’s tremendous for anybody coming in to help out and to make people feel better,” said resident Rob Coons.
Each new owner of the robotic pets was also given a certificate to make the adoption official.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.