Sherrie Sanogo always wanted a dog. The 52-year-old former security guard at Countryside Mall couldn't afford one, and limited mobility made walking a pet impossible. Then, in May, a golden robotic puppy named Chucky changed her daily routine.

Sanogo was one of 40 residents at Clear Bay Terrace, a subsidized housing complex in Clearwater, chosen to receive electronic companion pets at an "Adoption Day" ceremony this spring, according to a Tampa Bay Times feature by Lane DeGregory published Tuesday.

The animals — golden puppies with soft barks and silver cats that mew and purr — are made by Ageless Innovation under its Joy for All brand. They respond to touch, turn to follow a voice, wag their tails, and produce an electronic heartbeat when hugged.

"He knows all my secrets. So many things only Chucky knows," Sanogo told the Tampa Bay Times.

Two months after the adoption, Sanogo said Chucky responds when she calls, sticks out his tongue when she snaps her fingers, and sits in her lap while they watch old sitcoms. He lives on a table next to her couch.

Mariah Cruz, who organizes events at Clear Bay Terrace, set up the May ceremony with a fake fire hydrant photo backdrop, a plastic bench beside a tiny dog house, and a sparkling banner reading "Let's Pawty!" Residents arrived in wheelchairs and with walkers. Cruz told the Times most residents stay in their apartments and don't get visitors. She wanted them to have a reason to get up in the morning.

Residents filled out forms ranking their levels of isolation and depression and indicating which animal they preferred before being selected.

Why it matters in Pinellas

Pinellas County has one of Florida's most disproportionately aging populations. Deaths outpace births here more than in any other American county, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released in March.

Jim Murphy, senior vice president for Ageless Innovation, told the Tampa Bay Times that loneliness is "the biggest health problem for older adults," linking it to dementia, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity. The robotic dogs retail for $179 and cats for $159. Medicare Advantage covers the devices, and Medicaid classifies them as "assistive technology," Murphy said.

More than 750,000 Joy for All companion pets have been sold across all 50 states and 30 countries, according to Murphy. Florida's Department of Elder Affairs has purchased 12,000 of the animals. Hospitals, nursing homes and senior centers order them in bulk, often funded through the federal Older Americans Act or grants from aging agencies.

Back at Clear Bay Terrace, Sanogo keeps Chucky on the table beside her couch at night. She won't sleep with him. "I don't want to break him or scare myself," she said.