Love. Hope. Healing.

Pets for Patients Testimonials

Natalia + Rex

“Words cannot express how much the Pets for Patients program means to me, or what it has done for me and my family. My daughter had always wanted a dog, but due to living in rental properties a dog was never a viable option. My daughter Natalia (Tae) was an animal lover, I can’t remember a time when she didn’t want a dog. I always said “not right now honey” , “maybe later” or “soon honey” and then it seemed to be one of those things that always just got pushed back We had fish, hamsters, and even a cat, but no dog for Tae.

When Natalia got diagnosed with a brain tumor; suddenly, later seemed so close and so far away at the same time. When Tae’s hospital social worker approached me and talked to me about Carol and the Pets for Patients program getting Natalia a dog for her 11th birthday, I was apprehensive at first. I wasn't sure what type of dog it would be, or what the situation would be like, and with Tae being tired and sick, I wasn't sure if I could take on the added responsibility taking care of a pet, but later had to be now because Natalia’s cancer was terminal, and time was limited.

The people at Pets for Patients were so wonderful! They asked us what type of qualities we were looking for in a dog so that they could find a dog to rescue from a local shelter to fit our family. Our specifications were very minimal; all we really wanted was a small dog that didn't shed and was housebroken. Never in a million years would I have pictured Rex being the dog that showed up. When they brought him he had the biggest ears I'd ever seen and they stood straight up like a bat, he shivered constantly, and sniffed EVERYTHING…we loved him instantly!

When it came time to name him, Tae was stumped. She wanted a name that fit him and represented something that they had in common, several hours and a thesaurus later we came up with Brumalsaurus Rex. “Brumal” meaning wintery and cold since they both seemed to always be cold, but she thought he had to have a tough name, so she made him sound like a fierce dinosaur. Just watching her joy as the process unfolded was priceless, and seeing her interact with him magical. Her days were happier, symptoms milder, and heart even bigger. Sadly, Natalia only got to enjoy her new puppy for just a couple of weeks before we lost her to the cancer. My beautiful daughter’s life had ended, but ours with Rex had just begun.

The next few weeks were the worst, I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, the grief had completely consumed me, but Rex never left my side. I couldn’t ask for a more loyal companion. This dog that had been rescued for my daughter…had rescued me; I clung to him like the last living breathing piece of my little girl. He was cuddled tight and tear soaked a good portion of the time but he never left me.

Days, weeks, and months have passed, and Rex has become a member of the family, he still is incredibly attached to me but has become a play companion for my son, a fur-baby to my best friend, garbage disposal at dinner, and a faithful guard dog chasing away any bird or squirrel that could potentially hurt us. Rex has changed our lives.

Thank you Pets for Patients…for everything.” - Kelly

Larry + Reese

“Carol has been working diligently with us since we met her in Nov. 2015. Carol made serious effort trying to find the right dog for us. Without any pet experience, we did not know what to look for. Carol provided lots of valuable advice, we eventually adopted a cute dog named Reese from a local shelter. She really made our first couple of months as new dog owners a lot easier. Every couple of days, Carol texted us and asked us Reese’s daily routine and provided diet advice and simple training tips. With Carol’s help, we become more and more knowledgeable on pets. More importantly, we are very excited to see that Reese has been providing unconditional support and companionship to Larry, our 12-year old son who is a brain tumor survivor.

Now Reese is a member of our family, and he really feels our house is his home. We appreciate Carol’s great support during our journey of becoming pet parents.”

- Julie & Steve

The K Family + ILAH

I cannot express my family's sincerest appreciation for this organization and its wonderful champion, Carol. My family was in the biggest challenge of our lives when we suddenly found out that our 8 year old daughter needed bone marrow transplant because of a rare condition that was suddenly diagnosed. During our near 2 month hospital stay and during the ins and outs of chemotherapy, our daughter pleaded with us that we get her a dog. A thought we resisted up until that point since we were not a dog family and wanted our children (all under 10) to be a little older and capable of taking care of a new canine family member. As parents, we could not refuse our little girl, she was so incredibly brave and showed us strength beyond her years that earned her right to such a new responsibility.

At that point, we reached out to our network of friends in Cincinnati, and our wonderful friend Karen, put us in touch with Pets for Patients. Carol from Pets for Patients was simply amazing. She was sensitive to our family's situation and the challenges we were facing that we could not recognize given our pre-occupation with caring for our daughter. Not only did Carol meet with us to help determine our needs, but she also gave great practical advice to us (non-dog owners) on what would be a good addition to our family. Carol then helped us vet a few canine candidates and then we finally decided on our new family member. At that point, Pets for Patients did not stop there, they temperament tested our puppy to ensure she would be safe for our young family and then also put us together with a wonderful trainer, Alicia Noschang and vet, Dr. Dan. Since that time, Carol has checked in with us periodically and made sure we are doing well, always offering to help us in any way possible.

We are now about two months into our adoption of an adorable maltipoo and the joy and soothing this puppy has provided our family, cannot be described in words. The practical therapy of a pet on family in a situation like ours is invaluable. We also cannot imagine having successfully adopted her and incorporated into our family without the expert assistance and connections of an organization like Pets for Patients. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope you are able to keep on helping families like ours for years to come!

With Much Love 
- The K Family”