Page 14 - aruba-today-20220112

a14 feature
Wednesday 12 January 2022
Special rescues help ailing owners find pets' next home

By LEANNE ITALIE "I just can't meet the de-
Associated Press mand for this kind of ser-
NEW YORK (AP) — Who will vice, especially when it
take your pet when you comes to cats," she said.
die? "In the last two months,
The question often doesn't I've turned away 40 cats
have an easy answer, es- that meet our mission just
pecially for ill or older peo- because we don't have a
ple headed to residential place to put them."
nursing care or assisted liv- Bannink-Albrecht knows of
ing. During the pandemic, just a few other rescues like
specialized rescue, advo- hers. One, in Canada, also
cacy and adoption servic- needs help.
es run by volunteers are try- Angela Rafuse, 27, in Hali-
ing to fill the void, one pet fax, Nova Scotia, founded
at a time. My Grandfather's Cat on
Leaders in the small move- May 18, her grandfather's
ment said the past couple birthday. He died in 2019
of years have opened the and left behind his grumpy
eyes of many. 14-year-old cat, Macken-
"The thing about COVID is a zie.
lot of people are thinking, I "She was my grandmother's
can't be guaranteed to be Associated Press best friend and when she
around forever. A lot more to pet food banks and ani- that their pet had received 14-year-old Luna in their passed away, my grandfa-
people are trying to make mal welfare organizations a new home," McGill said. May 1 wedding after Koska ther took care of her for the
plans in advance, which so owners can make their Enter angels-on-earth like adopted her through Ty- next year before he passed
is the best thing to do be- wishes known. 79-year-old Kathy Reister. son's Place around Thanks- away," Rafuse said. "He
cause unfortunately, a lot Another organization, Pet She adopted a 12-year-old giving 2020. Luna, also a wouldn't put his name on
of people wait until they're Peace of Mind, works di- Chihuahua named Jack- Chihuahua, was their ring the list for a nursing home
in hospice or there's a des- rectly with about 250 hos- son with the help of Ty- bearer. knowing nobody would
perate situation," said Amy pices around the country son's Place Animal Rescue "Her owner had gone into take the cat, who has the
Shever, founder and direc- to provide and train volun- in Holland, Michigan. The a nursing home and could grumpiest meow I've ever
tor of 2nd Chance 4 Pets teers who care for pets of nonprofit helps people with no longer take care of her," heard."
in suburban Sacramento, the seriously and terminally terminal illnesses find new Koska said. "She has a lot Rafuse promised her
California. ill, said Dianne McGill, the homes for their pets. Reister, of dental issues, cataracts grandfather she would
The number of pets surren- president and founder in who has been diagnosed and very poor hearing. take Mackenzie. She be-
dered to shelters due to Salem, Oregon. Most of with congestive heart fail- She's just the sweetest dog. gan posting TikTok videos of
caretaker health or death the hospices are providing ure, had recently lost her Everybody who knows her their adventures. One vid-
is up from 7.3% in 2009 to home services, where pets own dog and was having loves her." eo, of Mackenzie scratch-
10.2% during the pandem- are often giving comfort a hard time at home alone Jill Bannink-Albrecht found- ing Rafuse's face as she
ic, according to the Best and support. when she took in Jackson ed Tyson's Place about six held her up to the camera,
Friends Network of thou- "These specialty volunteers last August. years ago. It services the has been viewed nearly a
sands of public and private bring pet care knowledge "I've never been without a entire state of Michigan, million times.
shelters, rescue groups and with them so they can do dog since about 1965," said working directly with a pet "Then so many people start-
other animal welfare orga- whatever is needed to the widow. "His previous owner before rehoming ed sharing stories with us
nizations in all 50 states. help," she said. "So they're owner had passed away." becomes an urgent mat- about how their grandpar-
The pets of seniors are of- walking, feeding, playing, Soon after, Jackson was ter, or with family members ents' cats ended up in shel-
ten seniors themselves, lan- cleaning up or helping to also diagnosed with con- after a death, using a small ters and how their grand-
guishing in shelters or the arrange a plan for rehom- gestive heart failure, and network of foster homes. parents worry about what
first to be euthanized after ing." Tyson's Place stepped in For Koska, Tyson's Place will happen to their cats or
they're declared unadopt- While providing pet care with a grant to help Reister took care of extensive den- their dogs because there's
able, Shever said. They're or adoption services often cover his medical bills. She tal work for Luna before she nowhere to take them,"
routinely given up by rela- isn't top of mind for social promised to return him to was adopted. Rafuse said. "I've worked
tives who can't take in a workers or nurses, it's a huge the agency for rehoming "I used to work for a high-kill at a nonprofit for the past
dog or cat. The life spans of emotional driving force for should her health take a animal shelter, and I knew four years so I thought, it
other pets, such as parrots, patients and loved ones liv- turn for the worse. what happened to the should be pretty easy to
are far longer, which some- ing far away, McGill said. "Having him has really old dogs when they came find resources to help these
times scares off loved ones. "Care workers hear about helped me want to con- in. I remember one dog people. Nothing existed
Shever's focus is educat- the issues from family mem- tinue to live and keep fight- who animal control liter- that empowered a senior
ing veterinarians and shel- bers," she said. "They say, ing," said Reister, of Grand- ally picked up from the side and helped them arrange
ters on how they can get my mom is really, really ville, Michigan. "I started of his dead owner's body, this and empowered their
involved. Her organization upset about what's going walking one block down and he didn't even have family. Everything was just
also tries to help pet own- to happen to her pet. I live and one block back home an opportunity to be ad- shelters."
ers in need of direction. She out of state. I can't help with him. Now we walk at opted. He was put to sleep After she launched, emails
urges owners to identify a her. How do we get some least 20, 25 minutes a day. because we didn't have asking for help and offering
committed caregiver, pro- pet care in place while He needs to walk and I space," Bannink-Albrecht donations rolled in, but she
vide written instructions for she's navigating her end- need to walk. He's made said. didn't have enough foster
a pet's routine and put a of-life journey or when she such a big difference in my Now, hospices and social homes to meet demand.
financial plan in place. Her passes?" life." workers refer patients to Ty- She's working to expand.
group has distributed thou- "I've got a million stories Caitlin Koska, 31, and Mi- son's Place. Bannink-Albre- One of Rafuse's goals is to
sands of emergency-card about patients who literally chael White, 34, in Ypsi- cht is struggling to expand help keep a pet at home
door hangers, for instance, hung on until they heard lanti, Michigan, included her foster reach. until the final moment.q