In 2021, Our Special Friends (OSF) received a referral from a Suffolk Sight Community Worker for Sheila, 76, who had recently moved to the Newmarket area to be near her family. Sheila had to give up her dogs to move into the first floor flat and was missing them desperately, which was having a negative impact on her mood. She had been prescribed antidepressants from her GP which were helping, but Sheila was still feeling isolated and missing the companionship of an animal.
OSF conducted an assessment which showed that although Sheila’s general health was good, she had some issues with her eyesight which meant she felt unable to walk a dog in the dark when she felt more vulnerable. She was very keen to receive regular visits from a dog and said she would enjoy going for local walks. We were able to match her with local volunteer ‘Emma’ and her sweet little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Percy. The visits were very successful, with Emma and Sheila developing a solid friendship and often taking Percy for a walk together. On one visit in April 2022, Emma noticed that Sheila’s breathing was laboured and alerted Sheila’s GP and raised concerns with OSF, which we discussed with the community matron to ensure Sheila had appropriate healthcare.
The next time Emma visited, she found Sheila had acquired a cat, Pugsey, from a neighbour who had died. Normally OSF do not visit clients who already have pets as we feel it is important to prioritise people who have no animal companionship. However, as Emma and Sheila had already formed a strong bond, in this case it was beneficial for all parties for visits to continue. A few months later, Sheila contacted us as she felt Pugsey needed to be rehomed. Pugsey regularly wanted to go out and come in, which Sheila was struggling with as there was no lift to her first floor flat. While OSF proactively sought to rehome Pugsey, there was further bad news as Emma became unwell and had to stop visiting with Percy. Ultimately, Sheila decided that she had become too fond of Pugsey to part with her and kept her until the cat died in early 2024. Pugsey supported Sheila through some very difficult times, including when Sheila’s daughter died, and in Sheila’s own words, turned her from a dog person into a cat lover!
After losing Pugsey, Sheila was referred back to OSF for another visiting dog. We were quickly able to identify a new volunteer who has a lively Cocker cross Springer Spaniel called Barney. The match meeting was successful, and visits began in March 2024. Barney has lots of energy and can be quite cheeky, but Sheila adores his character and will forgive him anything! Barney and his owner have been visiting regularly since, and Sheila is very happy with the company.
NB – the volunteer’s name has been changed in this case study
