Rebecca Farrell of Clarks Summit had a houseguest recently - Maui, an 11-year-old pug, whose owners didn’t want to leave him alone while they traveled to Philadelphia for the flower show.
“I jumped at the opportunity,” Farrell said. “He’s a good dog.”
Farrell is a new volunteer with Pet Peace of Mind, a program run by Allied Services that helps hospice and palliative care patients take care of their pets. She took care of Maui so his owners, Scott and Cheryl Lewis, could travel.
“It’s been about 40 years since we went to a show,” Scott said. “I really wanted to go.”
Scott is in hospice. Allied Services nurses help him at home a few times a week. When Allied Services wanted to send him to the flower show to indulge his love of orchids, he and Cheryl weren’t sure what they would do with Maui.
That’s when Laurie Fleming, volunteer coordinator for Allied Services, stepped in. She says finding a volunteer to care for Maui is just one example of what Pet Peace of Mind volunteers can do for patients and their pets.
“We can help take the pet out if they don’t have anybody to walk a dog… we have volunteers that will do that,” she said. “We have volunteers who will take the pet to their appointments, be it a veterinarian appointment or a grooming appointment. We also have volunteers that will help them with anything that they need for their pet like getting them food.”
Pet Peace of Mind is a national program that expanded in 2018 after receiving a grant from PetSmart Charities. The program out of Allied Services is one of five operating in Pennsylvania.
With local support from the Scranton Area Community Foundation and the Spitz Foundation, Fleming says they’re able to pay for whatever a patient’s pet may need - and, when a patient passes away, Fleming will work with shelters to find their pet a new home.
“When you’re in that situation, and they’re telling you about hospice, and this is going to happen and nurses are coming in…it’s overwhelming for the patient and their family,” she said. “This way, they have this and we can say for your pet, we have this program.”
Allied launched Pet Peace of Mind in 2020, but Fleming says they couldn’t get it underway during the pandemic. Now, she has 10 regular volunteers and is hoping to expand their reach into Luzerne County, where Allied has another hospice location and more patients.
Farrell was happy to give Maui a place to stay while the Lewis’ enjoyed the flower show. She’s worked in kennels before, and she always felt for the older dogs who would end up there when their owners had to travel for things like medical care.
“They don’t travel that often, so they don’t really know where to board their dog or who to grab last minute,” she said. “A lot of the older dogs that I would see in the boarding kennels… it’d be nice to have… a calmer environment.”
Maui fit right into Farrell’s family of two dogs and cats. On the first full day of his sleepover, Maui ran around the house with his new friends, Coco and Ruby, and chased his curled tail when he got excited.
“I’ve been sending them photos,” Farrell said. “They’re just really excited that, you know, he’s not an issue or anything and they can really enjoy themselves.”
When the Lewises made it home, Farrell gave them the full update.
“We never even met her (Farrell) until the day she picked up the dog,” Cheryl Lewis said. “I wasn't uncomfortable at all. I could tell that she was going to be a great caregiver.”
With a new orchid for Scott’s collection in tow, the Lewises took Maui back home.
