Case Study: Lennie Almond & Sam

For 47 years, Lennie Almond (79) and her husband Darryl lived in a four-bedroom property in Bathford where they brought up their daughter Caroline. It was a wonderful family home. As the Almonds always had dogs, the house which also had a good-sized garden, never felt too large.

A few years after Darryl’s death, however, Lennie felt that she had to downsize. She says: “I knew that moving house would be a stressful undertaking and requires one to compromise but three criteria were non-negotiable for me. I was determined to live in close proximity to my daughter and grandchildren, in or near the countryside and to find a retirement community that was dog-friendly as my ‘faithful companion’ Sam was going to move with me.”

Sam is a seven-year old Show Cocker Spaniel that Lennie bought as a puppy, soon after Darryl passed away. Although Wadswick Green ticked all the boxes for Lennie, she says: “I would not have moved here, if Wadswick Green did not allow pets. It was a case of ‘love me love my dog’! He is an integral part of my life and even though his stubbornness can be hard work, I wouldn’t be without him.”

After meeting the Wadswick Green sales team and showing Sam his potential new home, Lennie decided to move into a spacious two-bed apartment at Birch Close in June 2023, which she bought for £395,000. She comments: “The move was stressful but Sam actually seemed to settle in much faster than me. He is such a people dog and his outgoing personality enabled me to get to know other residents more easily than I would have been able to without him. He has helped me integrate into a new setting much more quickly than I might have done on my own.”

Having lived at Wadswick Green for almost two years now, Lennie and Sam feel very much at home and part of the community. If the duo aren’t spending time at the onsite café where Sam has established a bit of a fan club, they can be seen spending time with other residents and their dogs or exploring the surrounding countryside. “Every morning, Sam and I go for a 1.5 hour walk – no matter the weather – which keeps the both of us quite active so that we can age gracefully together”, Lennie laughs.