Hospice Volunteers for Pet Owners: Pet Peace of Mind (Video 8:06)

What would you do if you were dying with no one to care for your pet? What would happen to your pet if you actually died? If you had no reliable support system in place, your pet could end up at an animal control shelter where it might not be adopted within a certain time frame and could be euthanized. A national program for non-profit hospices, Pet Peace of Mind provides help to hospice patients experiencing these problems.  Funded by Banfield Charitable Trust, this program works with hospices in providing temporary and permanent care for pets of hospice patients. Care includes training materials, routine pet care, and tools to facilitate adoption.

For many people, their pets are their family, sometimes their only family.  They love and worry about their pets in the same ways others express concern about their children. When hospice patients are too ill to care for pets or need others to take full ownership of pets after they die, knowing a hospice volunteer will provide that care can be the difference between having a death journey with peace of mind or having one feeling depressed and anxious about the pet’s well-being. 

This video titled Pet Peace of Mind from Banfield Charitable Trust shows the importance of having a pet adoption program available for hospice patients.

Frances Shani Parker, Author

Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available in paperback at many booksellers and in e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble booksellers.

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