Pet Peace of Mind

For many in hospice care, a decline in physical condition impacts a patient's ability to enjoy socializing and maintaining human relationships over time. Pets often fill that relational void as they offer unconditional love, acceptance, comfort, and companionship at a time when it is needed most.

Pet Peace of Mind® is a national program that enables hospice patients to keep their pets at home throughout their end-of-life journey.

Since 2019, we have been caring for patients and their loved ones in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and now we extend that care to our patients’ beloved pets. Our Pet Peace of Mind® program helps Allied Services Hospice families stay together.

If you are an Allied Services Hospice patient or caregiver and need some extra help caring for feathered, finned, or furry members of your family, please let your team know, or call our Volunteer Services Coordinator, Laurie Fleming at 570-290-3285.

Specially trained volunteers can provide pet food and cat litter; pet walking; routine veterinary care and transportation; grooming and transportation; transportation to nursing facilities to visit owners; foster care; and assistance with finding a “forever home” if the family cannot keep the pet after the patient’s death.

Services are provided at no cost to the patient or their family, thanks to funding generously provided by the Robert H. Spitz Foundation administered by the Scranton Area Foundation.

Watch a powerful video here.

Our program does not offer fostering or adoption services however, we do provide assistance in finding a forever home after their owner has passed away. Allied Services Hospice works with local pet rescue centers to ensure that pets find a loving home. We also provide practical and financial assistance to ensure that pets are ready for adoption; neither the patient nor the pet rescue centers will incur any costs.

Support

If you would like to financially support this program, please contact our Foundation Office at 570.348.1407 or click here to make a secure online donation.

Volunteer

Volunteers have a special role to play in the Pet Peace of Mind® program. Our volunteers can assist with a wide range of activities including:

• Walking dogs for house-bound patients
• Transporting pets to the groomers or to veterinary appointments
• Staying with pets during a patient's medical appointments
• Transporting pets to visit patients receiving care at our Hospice Centers

If you would like to volunteer your time or talents as part of the Pet Peace of Mind® program please contact

• Laurie Fleming at 570-290-3285 or lflemi@allied-services.org
• Complete this quick contact form