HALIFAX -- An 80-year-old man in Fredericton, N.B. is keeping himself active all while making new acquaintances at the local SPCA.

Ken Baker has been visiting the Fredericton SPCA for over a decade, taking the resident dogs out for daily strolls.

“I used to do about four or five of them a day, but I’m now getting older and slowing down so I take maybe two or three,” said Ken.

Not only do the dogs get to get some fresh air, Ken says the daily walks benefit him as well.

“I have to walk because of diabetes and I figure I might as well take dogs and they keep me going. Otherwise I would probably give up and call it quits,” said Ken.

The retired airline pilot hasn’t had a dog of his own since he was a child.

It all began several years ago when Ken started taking his neighbour’s dog on daily walks.

“She never seemed to go anywhere, so I met him one day and I said, ‘How about I take her for a walk,’ and he said, ‘You can try,’” explained Ken.

Over the years, Ken realized he could handle more than just the neighbour’s dog so he reached out to the local SPCA.

Twelve years later, Ken has made many furry friends along the way.

“There’s Victor, he’s the shelter’s dog. He won’t be adopted out,” said Ken.

“He had a very bad childhood and he doesn’t think too highly of the human race. So it took me two, or three, or four months and then we became quite good friends and I’ve been walking him for about four years now.”

The Fredericton SPCA says they’re grateful for volunteers like Ken.

“It’s a sense of relief from the animal care team because they can depend on people. Ken is a wonderful natural match with our philosophies and our beliefs,” said Annette James, the director of operations at the Fredericton SPCA.

“He has such a big heart with the animals and the dogs pick up on that, and even though he says he’s not a cat guy, we have cats that do migrate to him.”

Proving Ken isn’t short of friendships at his local SPCA.