When Alice moved to Salt Lake City with her husband, they bought a plot of land and built a beautiful home together. They settled down, had a few children, and as their children grew, animals became an inextricable part of their lives. When our hospice team met Alice, her menagerie had decreased to a troupe of loyal dogs. Her children had grown and her husband had passed away. She wasn’t lonely, however—her dogs were her best friends.
Eventually, Alice had to move to a facility. A volunteer coordinator was called in to assess Alice for pet therapy, and a handler and her service animal, a yellow lab mix named Ozzie, were assigned to visit. Alice would brighten instantly, spending hours with Ozzie, petting him and sharing her favorite treat, Twinkies.
Despite Alice being separated from her pets, her hospice team was able to make things easier by facilitating pet therapy. Alice still lives at the facility and still sees her favorite visitor, a kind, gentle canine named Ozzie.