For a lot of older adults, giving up a dog or cat is the hardest part of moving into assisted living, and it's often the thing that delays a move that's otherwise overdue. "Pet-friendly" communities in Matthews let residents keep a companion animal in their apartment or cottage, or at minimum host regular visits from a resident pet program. We've identified 10 communities in this category, and coverage varies quite a bit from one to the next, so it pays to check the fine print before you assume a community will work for your situation.
What "pet-friendly" actually covers
The term gets used loosely, so it's worth pinning down what a community means by it. Some allow residents to bring their own pet and live with it full time in their room or apartment. Others only offer a facility pet (a cat or dog that lives on-site and is cared for by staff) or scheduled visits from therapy animals. A smaller number will accommodate pets in independent living or assisted living but not in memory care, where wandering or safety concerns make individual pet ownership harder to manage.
What to look for before you sign
- Weight and breed limits. Many communities cap dogs at 20-30 pounds or restrict certain breeds. Ask for the number in writing, not a verbal estimate.
- Who does the care. Find out whether the resident is expected to walk, feed, and clean up after the pet, or whether staff or a family member needs to help, and what happens if the resident's mobility declines.
- Deposits and fees. Pet deposits, monthly pet rent, and one-time fees vary widely. Get the total cost in writing.
- Backup plan. Ask what happens to the pet if the resident is hospitalized or if their health changes and they can no longer manage the animal.
- Outdoor access. Check for a fenced yard, dog-walking paths, or relief areas close to the resident's room, especially important for anyone with limited mobility.
These policies aren't always on a community's website, so a phone call or tour is usually necessary to get real answers.
How our scoring helps
We score each of the 10 pet-friendly communities in Matthews on the same criteria we use across the directory: care quality signals, staffing, cleanliness, value, and responsiveness, alongside pet-specific factors like policy clarity and outdoor access where we could confirm them. The goal is to give you a consistent basis for comparison rather than relying on marketing copy alone. See our full ranked guide to assisted living facilities in Matthews, NC for how these communities stack up overall, and read our methodology for exactly how we calculate scores.
