Jan Holman, 68, was unexpectedly rushed to the hospital six weeks ago. Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with a terminal illness and is now in hospice care at the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.
Having left her house in such a rush, Jan was never able to say goodbye to her two dogs or her beloved horse, whom she rode every day.
Terminal patient reunited with dogs
She missed her animals so much while she was in the hospital that when she was finally transferred to the hospice, the staff knew what they had to do to make her last few days as enjoyable as possible.
One day, Jan’s husband of 46 years arrived at the hospice with two very special guests: Jan’s two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Monty and Rowley. The two dogs were clearly overjoyed to see their mum again, and of course, the feeling was mutual.
Horse visits hospital to see owner
But the most heartwarming part of the visit came when the hospice staff wheeled Jan’s bed into the courtyard, where Bob, her beautiful piebald horse, was waiting for her! The reunion between rider and horse was deeply emotional and brought everyone to tears.
Jan 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. 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.”
What a beautiful gesture to make for this lovely woman and her animals. There really is nothing like the bond between a pet and its owner.
Sending all our best wishes to Jan’s family and friends during this difficult time.
