New York’s senior citizens are being given “robot pets ... an ongoing effort to combat what U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation ...

The robotic pets will be distributed by the New York State Office For Aging. Helen Macura has always wanted a dog, but the Prohibition-era home she has lived in since 1945 isn't safe for a ...

Noyes said robotic pets are one of several programs the agency has to combat loneliness in older populations. The Animatronic Pet Program in New York has given tens of thousands of robotic pets ...

On June 3, NYSOFA announced that it will give away 4,725 additional robotic pets to seniors in ongoing efforts to combat senior loneliness. Greg Olsen, the acting director of NYSOFA, said that ...