Reunited Pet Cabin
It all started with one photo, taken back in March 2013. A photo can speak volumes. This one captures a moment of sheer joy when our 15-year-old sick son was reunited with our family dog Peanut outside the main entrance at Mater Dei Hospital. After months of heartache and pain we finally shed happy tears.
Jacob had been begging to see our Yorkshire Terrier Peanut since waking up from his coma in ITU. It was our son's only wish. It could have been his last, as he was seriously ill. As his parents we felt helpless when we were told that dogs were not allowed to enter the hospital. We even cut off a tuft of Peanut's hair and put it in a little plastic bag for Jacob to hold, in the hope that one day he may finally be allowed to hold his dog again. Thankfully that day arrived — albeit out in the cold, in a busy street outside the hospital.
A year or so later, when we were in better days, we asked the authorities at the hospital if we could perhaps designate a room on the grounds of Mater Dei where recuperating patients could see their family pets. Abroad, pet visitation and pet therapy are implemented at many hospitals, and after experiencing this first hand through our own son's recovery we knew how much it played a crucial part in the healing process.
Prompted by that photo, which went viral when we shared it on Facebook asking why pet visitation wasn't allowed at Mater Dei, we began talks with the authorities concerned and with the Minister of Health. In the name of our support group Survivors Malta we joined forces with JCI Malta to raise funds for our campaign.
We had a lot of red tape to cut through and regulations to abide by, but we did it. Now, finally, after seven years this project has become a reality. It is helping many families with sick hospitalised loved ones, and we hope that it will also pave the pathway for other pet-related projects at our institutions here in Malta. We wish to thank all who believe in us and what we do. Together we can all make a difference 😊
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