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Timaru’s The Pet Connection People creator Todd Mudie and Freya, the huntaway, on Friday.
The friendship of an animal is invaluable, much more so when somebody is alone or weak.
And a brand-new South Canterbury charity intends to keep that unique bond alive by supplying elderly and terminally ill animal owners with the care and help of their family pets, suggesting they can stick with their cherished buddies for longer.
The Pet Connection People had its very first main customer recently, and creator Todd Mudie said the charity had 32 individuals thinking about ending up being volunteers, called ports, who would enter into individuals’s houses and walk their family pets, if the owner was not able to.
This week those who offer of their time are being identified throughout nationwide Volunteer Week, with this year’s style He wā pīataata – Time to shine.
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“We’ve been planning this for about eight months,’’ Mudie said, of the charity.
“It’s exciting to have had our first client – her husband is terminally ill, and the dogs are missing out on walks.’’
Using the idea of the UK’s Cinnamon Trust, a charity providing support for elderly and terminally ill people with pets, Mudie said he had put a call out on social media for volunteers several months ago, and had a good response.
AIMAN AMERUL MUNER/Stuff
Mudie’s charity will see connectors exercising the pets of people who can’t undertake the task themselves.
“Volunteer registrations are under way, we are vetting people as it is critical to get the right people,’’ he said.
Apparel was being designed for the connectors, and they would all carry photo identification, he said.
Mentoring from the Cinnamon Trust’s chief executive would also be provided.
While he had one administrator, he said he could do with another to help with the running of the charity.
Mudie said the support had been “amazing’’ and he hoped the model, while based in South Canterbury at the moment, could be extended to a national level.
“It’s exciting, and it’s really good to see people wanting to get involved.’’
And while the charity was also just based on pet exercising, he hoped to branch out in the future.
The first stage of the project would concentrate on the pet exercising, Mudie said
AIMAN AMERUL MUNER/Stuff
Mudie wants the service to expand to include the delivery of food and assistance in taking pets to vet visits.
In its next stage, the service would connect with veterinary services and provide assistance with vet visit transportation to and from appointments. Delivery of vet-purchased and supplied food for pre-qualified clients would also be available.
In the third stage, the charity would work with pet owners to create a pathway for the ongoing care of their pets.
The charity believed this would allow people to keep their pets with them for longer and provide them with certainty and comfort that their pets will be cared for should the unexpected happen.
“Companionship is so important especially in the later years in a person’s life and this is the driving factor in our desire to create this organisation,” Mudie said
“At the minute it’s quite in its infancy, however we are certainly seeing the requirement.
“We can make a distinction, and if we can make a distinction in one family’s life…’’
There were likewise “a lot of’’ opportunities to branch off, he said.
“But at the minute we’re getting the family pets and walking them and getting a terrific credibility, and after that we’ll see how it goes.’’
