As serious sickness is a very stressful event in the life of humans, the Juravinski Hospital in Canada has made a major improvement step forward to relief their pet loving patients. Thanks to Donna Jenkins and her nephew Zachary Noble, the hospital has initiated a program to allow cats and dogs visiting their hospitalized owners who are seriously ill.
When Zachary was battling cancer in the Juravinski Hospital, he was begging the hospital to allow his dog to visit him. Despite that Zachary passed away, his condition had improved every time he saw his dog. In Zachary’s Paws for Healing, Jenkins is honoring and ensuring that the legacy of her nephew lives.
Now, Zachary’s Paws for Healing works with the Juravinski Hospital stuff as the first Canadian organization that provides patients with visits from their canine pets.
While therapy pets are being used for years with good results, the Zachary’s organization allows patients to interact with their own beloved animals. Besides improving the morale of patients, this unique program is also distinctively helpful for the patients’ pets who may suffer from separation anxiety due to the absence of their owners.
Until now, 25 visits of pets to their patients have taken place. Precautions before and during each visit include cleaning the animals to assure that no introduction of any harmful germs into the hospital. During their weekly visits, the pets are kept on covered wheeled carts, and they are kept away enough from all other patients.
Due to the lack of caregivers for their pets, some patients refuse the life-saving therapies that take long time in hospital. Zachary’s organization hopes to help patients alleviating this issue so that they can focus on getting well; they are willing to improve more through fostering those patients’ pets and taking them in visits to their hospitalized patients.
As the Zachary’s Paws for Healing program has gained a thrilling momentum, Jenkins hopes to spread it to more hospitals. Aside to the hospital visits of companion pets, the executives of the 100% volunteer program are planning to provide foster care to the pets’ owners that have to enter the hospital for required treatment.
You can visit and donate to the Zachary's program through their website
ZacharyPawsForHealing.com
Please share the Zachary's cause with friends and family, especially pet owners!
