"Rusty" was about 9 months old when his owner became our patient. Mrs. Goldman had terminal cancer and her husband had brought her a puppy to cheer her up while she was undergoing a final and difficult round of chemotherapy. While she loved the little dog, it was Mr. Goldman who clung to Rusty through the grief of watching his wife of 52 years decline, despite the attempts to manage her symptoms. Rusty provided comic relief from the sadness and pain they both felt and he slept beside Mr. Goldman as he watched over his wife at night. When hospice took over her care, we provided support for her, for him and the Pet Peace of Mind program provided for Rusty, too. We provided his food and delivered it to the home, as well as transportation to the vet and funding for his second and third set of vaccinations and neutering. We also provided flea and tick preventative and heartworm preventative for Rusty, so taking care of him during this time would be easier for Mr. Goldman. The family photos taken toward the end of Mrs. Goldman's life show Rusty in Mr. Goldman's arms. His place in the family was secure. When we asked Mr. Goldman if we could take a picture of Rusty, he was only too happy to comply. As a gift, we presented him with a copy framed in a pet themed frame. He displayed it at his wife's funeral two weeks later.
