Senior Citizens Getting Robot Pets to Combat Loneliness [Video]

New York’s senior citizens are being given “robot pets” — animatronic stuffed animals — as part of an ongoing effort to combat what U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has called an “epidemic of loneliness and isolation,” especially among the elderly.

The plush, battery-operated pets react to touch and sound, but don’t require feeding or care. They also won’t run out the front door, something that Helen Macura, 101, told ABC News was a concern of hers, as she lives on a busy street.

“I’m talking to somebody. I do have companionship. There’s somebody here listening to me,” she told the outlet of her animatronic dog, which she named Friendly. “He’s warm and he’s comfort.”

“These plush, ‘lifelike’ robotic pets are designed to make realistic sounds and motions, providing comfort and companionship to individuals,” New York State’s Office for the Aging (NYSOFA)said of the initiative, which first started in 2018 and has since “distribute[d] over 31,000 animatronic pets to …