Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/terminally-ill-woman-says-goodbye-to-dogs-and-horse/
A terminally ill woman longed to see her best friends one last time – and her wish was granted.
Jan Holman has been apart from her beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Monty and Rowley, and horse named Bob for over a month.
After spending weeks in a local hospital, she was transferred to The Hospice of the Good Shepherd and received an amazing surprise.
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The caring staff arranged for all three of Jan’s animals to visit her.
Jan thought she would be able to see her dogs one last time, but never imagined she would be able to see Bob again. Her face lit up when she spotted her faithful companion.
She was unable to get out of her bed, so she was wheeled to the patio where Bob was patiently waiting for her.
“The team from Thornleigh Park Farm Stables, where Bob is in livery, walked him into the Hospice courtyard for a very emotional re-union between horse and rider. Bob put his head through the doors and nuzzled Jan’s neck and lap and thoroughly enjoyed his treats of carrots, bananas and apples,” wrote Hospice of the Good Shepherd.
It was a special moment not only for Jan but for Jan’s husband of 46 years, Dennis. He said, “It was just such a relief once Jan was moved from the hospital to the Hospice in Chester and we were able to have named visitors who could come and see Jan regularly, however we never imagined that we would be able to include our dogs Monty and Rowley and Jan’s horse Bob on the visiting list.”
It meant the world to Jan to see her beloved pets one last time. She said, “I just can’t believe what the staff here at the Hospice have done for me. Until a few weeks ago I was still riding Bob every day and he is such an important part of my life, and I have missed him so much. I knew that arranging for my dogs to visit was possible as we had a neighbour who was a patient at the Hospice a few years ago and we were allowed to bring the dogs to visit her, but I just didn’t expect that they would ever be able to give me the chance to see Bob one more time.”
Many people were moved to tears by the touching moment that was shared on Facebook. One person who witnessed it in person commented, “I was lucky to observe this and hear Bob talking. This is why I say the hospice is the best place in the world at the worse times of your life.”
Hospice ended the post by saying, “The ethos of hospice care is not just about caring for the clinical needs of our patients but also looking after their emotional and spiritual needs as well. It’s about making a difference to our patients and their families in whatever way we can.”
Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog
