Garden pets

I will deffinately sign it.
When I was a social worker I found that people got so distressed when they had to leave a pet. I knew of a cat sanctuary that took them and allowed the owner to visit whenever they pleased.
Some homes allowed them to keep their pets. I remember one lady had a dog - a golden labrador - called Goldie :o) He was very old, and had cancer. The vet said he would have to be put to sleep, eventhough he was not in any pain, but the old lady wouldn't hear of it.
The home she went into allowed her to keep Goldie and they both settled in there. But is wasn't long before the two of them passed over. However they were both able to end their lives without being parted. I thought that was good.

That brought tears Hywel, It will take a couple of days for No 10 to post it up but as soon as I get word I'll post you the link. Hope that will be ok.

That's fine thank you :o))

Please let us know the link.

I think this is a good idea, so long as the pets can be well looked after, while the elderly person is still alive and after their death. I visited one old people's home where there was a budgie in a cage... The water pot was green with slime and the cage was filthy....I tried to make gentle hints about it requiring cleaner conditions, but nobody there would listen... This bird was presumably once some elderly person's much-loved pet....

So.... the bill could help... but care plans must be in place for when the original owner is no longer capable of looking after the pet properly....

I hope you understand the point I'm trying to make. I think it is wonderful for old people to keep their pets with them, but they may be too weak after a while to give them proper care, and after the owner passes away.... are there suitable plans in place for the future care of the pet...? This must be emphasized...

I will sign it Heron , but I do agree with everything TT is saying , a lot of these pets are going to outlive their owners ...... presumably more people would need to be employed to clean up , walk and feed the animals etc. plus vets bills .. . . It would be lovely to have a perfect solution ......

i will for sure heron, i think its very theroputic for people in homes to have pets, especially their own, i hate the thought of any being put to sleep for any reason other than being old and very ill,

I love the idea of old people being able to keep their pets when they have to go into a care home, however from the practical point of view I would put the following questions:
As care staff are such low paid jobs, who will be willing to undertake the extra duties of, for example taking dogs for walks.?

Would the private owners of such homes be willing to employ extra people to undertake those duties.?
Who would be responsible for vets' fees and for taking pets to vets whenever necessary.?

Would the overworked, low paid staff be paid extra for perhaps cleaning up "accidents" of pets, as well as those of residents?

TT is right to question the practicalities, otherwise just passing such a bill could lead to more heartache than joy.

I will sign it, but do agree with every thing TT as said..

I think it's a good idea Heron, but as every-one has said it has to be carefully thought about first.

I will sign as well. I agree with TT as well.

Some good points there, no doubt potential problems will be debated and hopefully sorted out when it has it's next reading. I'll see if I can find the original and full text of the bill. I haven't received the OK from No 10 yet, maybe they don't work on Sundays.

Some info re. pets here. I've emailed Mr Nigel Waterson.

http://www.nigelwaterson.com/press18.htm

I`ll sign it too Heron, just send me the link.

Yes count me in.......though there are quite a few misgivings on the practical side, the dogs may be aggressive towards each other...then where would the cats fit into this....they would probably have to stay in the owners rooms...and then who will take them out and clean up after them? The idea is is well meant but I couldn't see it working too well, it must be heartbreaking to leave your home and your pet who is probably the closest friend you have....its a very difficult situation.

When we go to visit my Mother-in-law in her Care home in Margate we
always take Teddy with us, teddy is always the centre of attention,
the Residents love him to bits. it is sad when you have to be parted
from your dearest friend, but ido agree with other members its
a difficult situation.......so sad, but i will sign the petition Heron if
need be.

most rest home here in nz have a resident cat and if an owners pet is adopted out then it has visiting rights.
but most residents seem to adopt the spoilt cat in the rest home

Hopefully I'll get the link today.

Hope im not to late Heron ? id like to sign 2 plez :) X

No not too late Jacque, it takes a few days for No 10 to clear and and list it. Once it's on the 'Petitions' website you've got 9 months to sign it.

Thats good news Heron :)

If you would like to sign my petition this is the link. Thant you.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Petsandoldfolk/

Thanx Heron i just signed the Petion after getting the Email 2 confirm :)Lets hope itl do some good :)

ive signed to heron ;o)

Thanks for the link.. :o)

Hi Heron

How right you are re pets - my Mum in Law was in a hostel for the last few of her 94 years and I never went there without my dog Lucy. After saying hello to Vera she would wander from room to room to say hello and be adored and patted. And she knew which rooms she wasn't to go into although I did notice after a while that she was called into most of those rooms eventually. The smiles and chats I've had with people initiated by Lucy just being there are special memories; recollections of dogs past, and of the lives that were lived along side those dog companions. Even the people who grumbled about 'dogs inside' still loved a chat and often about their dogs, who were always strictly kept outside of course. Whether she was loved or frowned on, she always broke up the monotony of the day for them and started a conversation. Vera 'dog sat' Lucy for me sometimes which she just loved and would delight in taking Lucy around to friends rooms. Lucy in her tinsel was a fixture at the Christmas Concert for all the years Vera lived there. I probably should add that Lucy is the quietest most sensible of dogs and had that uncanny gift some animals have of adjusting her behavior to suite each person. She is laying here at my feet quietly waiting for whatever we are going to do next, and my life would not be complete without her dear presence. I'll sign - if an Aussie signature means anything - because I KNOW that it is wrong to make people 'give up' pets and deprive them of a companion that has shared their lives. - Cheers - Cate and Lucy

What a nice story, thank you Cate and Lucy, please ask your friends to sign too.

I find it very upsetting that Owners are parted from their pets and I really cannot see how a Residential or Nursing Home could cope with pets. I can see it working in Sheltered Accommodation though. Just to let everyone know, there is a fantastic Charity called THE CINNAMON TRUST. They can re-home pets and they also help out if an elderly person has had an operation or a fall or something that stops them walking/looking after their pet for a while. Please, everyone, look at their web site. When my Husband died in October we had donations made to the Cinnamon Trust. I am setting up a Standing Order to make a donation on my Husband's birthday every year. One of my Husband's friends was widowed two years ago and he is very lonely. Once he heard of the Cinnamon Trust he went to the RSPCA and got himself a lovely cat. He is safe in the knowledge that the cat will be looked after for the rest of it's life if anything happened to him.
(Thanks for reading all this - and I hope people will spread the word. I am sure it will be helpful to a lot of elderly people).

I agree that it would cause problems in a residential home but what I would like is to see less 'one size fits all' approach. while it would be unimaginable to have a day room full of old people with pets getting bored and fighting each other (what a thought) some authorities adopt a blanket approach when in 'some' cases it would be possible if only for visiting or short stays. Sadly only 9 people have signed my petition.

Well I'll sign it too Heron and then it'll be 10! An elderly friend of the family had to go into a home recently and had to give up her little dog to a relative. She had lived alone for many years confined to a wheelchair with only her dog for company and I'm sure it was very upsetting for her. I think the problem wiht this bill would be that if someone is so incapable of looking after themself that they have to go into a care home (a last resort for many), then how could they possibly look after a pet? But there are two ways around this that I can see - firstly there are a lot of caring people around who can't have their own dog (perhaps they work) and would love to 'borrow' a dog for an hour and they could come in to walk the dogs. The other way is that not all care homes are those dreadful places where the people just sit all day staring into space and only have one room to themselves. Some care homes are really nice and the residents have their own flats and are encouraged out doors. I suspect these places are the reserve of the well-off, but I see no problem in having small dogs in such places. Cats are a different kettle of fish unfortunately, but an elderly cat might settle into a life confined to a flat, as they tend to stay at home a lot anyway.

BTW, it is perfectly normal for people to leave provision in their Will for their pets. You can leave your pet to a rehoming charity with a bequeath for their upkeep. That way you can be sure that your pet will not be destroyed if the worst comes to the worst.

I've just put together an e-mail and sent it off to all my friends who have pets asking them to sign too.

In case anyone would like to copy and paste the message to send to their friends please do so:-

If you were elderly and had to go into a care home, what would happen to your pets?

Pets are not currently permitted in care homes, so elderly people must give up their pets, which might also be elderly and hard to rehome and may end up being destroyed.

You can sign a Number 10 E-Petition to allow elderly people to keep their pets with them in their care homes by visiting the following site and signing:-

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Petsandoldfolk/

Please pass this e-mail on to all the pet owners you know! Thanks.

Thank you Sid.