This 108-Year-Old Woman Says Dogs Are the Key to a Long Life, Not Kids.
In a small Derbyshire town, a 108-year-old woman caught global attention with an answer that felt honest, funny, and completely her own. Cards started showing up from strangers, messages filled her family’s inboxes, and even the royal family reached out. Her life looks simple when written down, yet a choice she made decades ago reveals how she views aging, what brings her joy, and the kind of companionship that has shaped her days.
Life at 108
Ada Daniel reached 108 years old while living at Codnor Park Care Home in Derbyshire, England, where she has stayed since 2015. Born in Ambergate in 1915, she married her late husband, Percy, in 1944, at the age of 29. The couple never had children, yet Ada lived independently until the age of 103.
To mark her 108th birthday, the care home launched a simple Facebook appeal asking people to send cards. The response exploded. Nearly 300 birthday cards arrived, including one signed by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. By the next morning alone, more than 135 messages had already flooded in, showing how quickly her story traveled beyond her town.
What really drew people in wasn’t just the impressive age on her cake. It was the way she explained it. Staff at the care home say Ada likes to joke that her real “secret” to a long life was choosing pets over parenting, a line she delivers with a smile that makes everyone laugh and lean in a little closer.
Dogs Made A Difference
Ada spent much of her life surrounded by Greyhounds. She had several over the years, and in a wonderfully quirky twist, she named each one “Street Lane,” after the road where she lived in Ripley. People who knew her described her as lively, independent, and full of character, and her devotion to her dogs seemed to keep her in constant motion and good spirits.
Science has backed up a lot of what her life demonstrated. Studies have shown that spending time with dogs can increase oxytocin levels in humans, a hormone linked to bonding, reduced stress, and lower anxiety. In addition to the emotional benefits, dog ownership tends to promote regular movement, structured routines, and outdoor activities, all of which support heart health and circulation.
An 11-year study released in 2019 added more weight to the idea, finding that dog ownership was associated with a 24 percent reduction in all-cause mortality and a 31 percent reduction in cardiovascular mortality on average.
Companionship That Fights Loneliness
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The Human Animal Bond Research Institute points out that chronic loneliness carries a health burden similar to smoking 15 cigarettes per day. This is especially relevant for seniors who have lost partners, friends, or extended family.
Ada didn’t have children or grandchildren to fill that space, yet her life never appeared empty. Her dogs offered structure, comfort, and constant presence in her world. That sense of purpose can make a real difference, encouraging people to wake up each day with responsibility, movement, and connection baked into their routine.
At 108, Ada Daniel didn’t offer a complicated formula or a strict lifestyle plan. Her story lands somewhere simpler and strangely reassuring. A loyal companion, a reason to move, and a bond that quiets stress and keeps the mind active. While scientists continue to examine aging in labs and clinics, her version rested quietly at her feet on four legs, wagging its tail across an entire lifetime.