“I’ve owned Boxers for 32 years and have a Facebook group ‘Everyday Boxer‘ with nearly 50,000 Boxer fanatics. I occasionally breed.

I start socialising the puppies when they are six weeks old, and one of my favourite things to do with them is visit the elderly at Four Fountains nursing home.

For nearly a decade, my grandmother took me to visit her mother in a nursing home every Tuesday when I was a child. Many years later, Grandma spent the last year of her life there as well.

My family made certain that someone was present every day for both of my grandmothers. However, for many residents, this is not the case. Some people go years without receiving a single visitor.

It’s awful to see so much loneliness in a group of people who should be admired.

I put them through their paces before bringing them in.

All of our loneliness is swept away the instant we walk in with a basket full of puppies.

The residents grin, laugh, and share numerous memories of their dogs with me.

“I hope that by sharing these images of pure joy, others will be inspired to visit the elderly with their pets.”

Brett Kaemmerer, 40, of Belleville, Illinois, contributed this story to Love What Matters. Please submit your story here.