SHARING SOURCES: Pet Peace of Mind
Most people who have pets think of them as part of the family. When pet owners are dying, they worry about how their pets will be cared for when they are no longer able to—as well as what will happen to their pets after they die. If nobody in their circle of friends, family, or neighbors steps forward to provide that care and give those pets a new home, they might end up at a local shelter, where their future is in doubt. Pet Peace of Mind, an Oregon-based nonprofit organization, was created to solve this problem.
The organization started operating in May 2009. It now serves dying pet owners in almost 250 hospices and palliative care programs across the United States and rehomes between 3,000 and 3,500 animals each year: dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, horses, reptiles—the full spectrum of pets people keep. The most unusual pet rehomed was a tarantula. More than 4,000 patients are served each year through the Pet Peace of Mind volunteer program.
Pet Peace of Mind is a powerful way to support patients at the end of life. The organization makes it possible for dying owners and pets to stay together at a time when the human-to-animal bond is particularly important. Maintaining these connections is a critical part of end-of-life care for people with pets. The comfort and love dying people receive from their pets is unconditional, easing the loneliness people can feel when they no longer have the energy for visits from people or when loved ones don’t know how to express their love. Pets don’t require a person to pretend things are OK or to entertain them—they just meet their owner right where they are, no matter what the person is feeling.
“Seriously ill patients should not have to worry about who will care for their pets if they are too ill to do so or have concerns about what will happen to their pets after they pass,” says Dianne McGill, president of Pet Peace of Mind. “Pet Peace of Mind’s mission is to ensure patients navigating the end-of-life journey can do so without anxiety regarding the well-being of their pets.”
The organization provides a turnkey solution that helps participating organizations develop a local program to help train volunteers to take care of pets for their dying owners. That training includes how to arrange grooming and boarding, how to exercise pets properly, how to put food supplies in place, and how to facilitate adoption. Pet Peace of Mind also contributes funding that helps mitigate costs for routine vaccinations, heartworm testing and prevention, as well as flea and tick medication. Once a program is established at a hospice, Pet Peace of Mind provides ongoing coaching.
Search here to find participating hospices in your service area.