316 volunteers throughout Scotland have offered their homes and foster care to animals in this situation. Social work departments and health boards have been advised of the service which is already widely used and appreciated. The only cost to the owner is for food. This is part of a policy designed to keep the owner in touch with the pet throughout the period of separation. Those who undertake the fostering service are encouraged to keep in touch with the owner either by letter or where possible by visiting, with or without the pet, depending upon the enlightenment of the hospital authorities. Some long-term friendships have been established and this has been a bonus.
In the event of the owner's death or being too frail to care for the pet on discharge from hospital, or perhaps being put into residential care where no pets are allowed, arrangements for adoption are made, and in twelve cases the fosterer has adopted the pet in his or her care. The pet has found a loving home but the Pet Fostering Service has lost one.
Without the help of the Scottish Health Education Group and of Network Scotland Ltd, which provided free accommodation and the use of facilities, the Service could not have developed as it has. Help the Aged has made a generous grant and support has also come from Pedigree pet food and the Tailwaggers Club Trust. Glasgow University Vet Students adopted the Service as one of their charities.
Since its inception, over 1,000 approaches have been made to the service - by community and hospital social workers, doctors, home-makers, health visitors, nurses, homeless units, prisons, wardens in sheltered housing, relatives, etc. More than 800 pets have been fostered, some more than once; advice has been given and other arrangements made in over 500 cases, and many requests for help in walking a dog have been met.
The reasons for fostering have varied from illness to bereavement, from homelessness to short-term prison sentences, from short rehabilitation holidays arranged by social workers, to removal of a dog at a doctor's request to identify an allergy. The main thrust has been, and will continue to be, towards elderly owners and their companion animals.
Organisers for Pet Fostering Service Scotland have now been appointed for almost all the regions in Scotland and for the divisions of Strathclyde. These are responsible for arranging fosterings locally - each organiser has been provided with a telephone answering machine and appropriate forms to record requests for help, the reasons for the request, the duration of fosterings and comments on the outcome.
The co-ordinator of the Pet Fostering Service Scotland is Mrs Shelly Constantine, Arrats Mill, Brechin, Angus, Scotland (tel 067 481 356). Mrs Kathleen Grieve MBE, who helped initiate the service, is at 13 Montgomerie Terrace, Ayr KA7 1JL, Scotland (tel 0292 261768). The service won a Social Inventions Award.