A Robotic Dog?

Six years ago, when we first arrived in Myrtle Beach, we saw something on the beach I thought was ideal.  We stopped to talk to a woman who was pushing a stroller with her 14-year-old dog in it.  After we walked away, I told my wife that would be the kind of dog I would like.  We do have a dog now, Odin, who is 3 1/2 years old.  He is not robotic, although there are some things he does you could say are definitely robotic.

What if you had a robotic dog? No eating, no pooping, no going to the vet, and no howling when there are sirens.  You could leave a robotic dog whenever you want and for a long, long time.  There are people with robotic dogs and they are living in New York. I think staying might be a better word.

The State of New York's Office of Aging has been giving away robotic dogs to older people since 2018 and they are expanding their program.  To date they have given out over 35,000 robotic dogs to help with loneliness.  Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychologist said that the mortality rate for social disconnection is equal to having 15 cigarettes a day. She said, "Senior citizens should have companionship, good companionship."

Being from New Jersey, I always knew there were a lot of people in New York, I had no idea there were 35,000 robotic dogs.  I asked Mr. Google, "How many robotic dogs are in The United States?" I didn't get a direct answer but there are:

9 different kinds of military robot dogs

3 commercial kinds of robot dogs

33 consumer kinds of robot dogs

Are there robot cats too?