Intervening Before It's Too Late

Every job has its ups and downs and when things get busy, I can get lost in the details, forgetting why Pet Peace of Mind is so important. Then I get an email that reminds me why I do what I do and inspires me to work even harder to spread the word about our program. I had just returned from giving a workshop at the Ohio state hospice meeting when I heard from a new hospice. Staff members of their organization had attended the workshop and they were interested in the program. Could I send some information? Well, of course, I was only too glad to oblige. A couple of days later, I received another email thanking me for the information and asking for the application, as they were ready to move forward. The writer also added this to her note:

"Thank you for all the presentation material you sent us--it was invaluable. Sadly, we were able to supplement it with the story of one of our patients who has experienced much the same story as Stretch and his family just two weeks ago. I have included it here, as I know you will understand the sadness our staff feels. We didn't find out about this until after it happened. The patient lived in her house by herself until a few months ago. She owned her home and had a dog as a companion. She was never married and never had any children. She has very little family in the area. When her health declined, the family made the decision to move her to a nursing home. Due to the lack of family in the immediate area, when they moved the patient, they made the decision to put down her dog. The dog was blind, but was otherwise healthy and a great dog. The decision crushed the patient. Her dog was one of her only companions. The family got her a stuffed dog which she keeps in bed with her and strokes."

I wish I could say (through my tears) that this type of situation never happens or even rarely happens, but unfortunately, that is not the case. There are still plenty of people in the world who have no idea how important pets are to the elderly and to people that are terminally ill. It's stories like this one that break my heart and motivate me at the same time. Please help us spread the word about Pet Peace of Mind.