TulsaPets Magazine September 2022

September / October 2022 • TulsaPets 23 The Hospice of Green Country staff first met Boo-Boo and Cookie when Lela Crutchfield’s husband was a patient several years ago. “When Lela came on service, the dogs were still a major presence in the home. They were definitely family mem- bers. On a daily basis, Lela told Hospice of Green Country how much her dogs meant to her,” Garcia says. Crutchfield would say, “They are my life; I love having them here with me. They keep me company, and they make me feel bet- ter.” Crutchfield had difficulty keeping up with her bills, so Hospice of Green Country enlisted its Pet Peace of Mind program to help her pay for pet food, grooming, and vet bills. And as her health declined and it was harder for her daughter, Jan Ward, to take care of Crutchfield and her dogs, PPOM volunteers stepped in. A PPOM volunteer drove from Tulsa to Claremore to pick up the dogs and take them to the vet. Volunteers also helped the dogs keep their occasional grooming appointments. When Crutchfield eventually moved to a 24-hour-care facility, PPOM volunteers made sure her dogs were fostered in loving homes and made frequent visits to see their “mom.” “Lela could be having a really difficult day, but the minute Boo-Boo and Cookie walked in, she would light up and delight in the sight of her babies. The dedication of our PPOM volunteers gave Mrs. Crutchfield much-needed peace of mind,” Garcia says. Crutchfield’s daughter praises Pet Peace of Mind for making her mother’s passing a peaceful experience. “Mom had such ‘quality’ at the end of her life because of Pet Peace of Mind; she knew her dogs were well cared for, and it was one less thing she had to worry about during this traumatic time in her life,” Ward says. “My family and I are so grateful for everything the Pet Peace of Mind program did for Mom and her dogs. I just don’t think we could have done all this without the help of Hos- pice of Green Country and their volunteers.” A Heart for Hospice In years past, Hospice of Green Country has collaborated with the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma to provide food for patients to fight hunger and to add another dimension to the excellent care given to patients who need it most. “The food bank’s support of our pro- grams has also historically included gifts of pet food and supplies to our Pet Peace of Mind program, which greatly helps us stretch our donated dollars even farther for other things like veterinarian visits, grooming, pet flea/tick treatments, or pet medications. We also regularly partner with Heritage Veterinary Hospital for the care of our patients’ pets. Their vets go above and beyond to help us provide the care that is needed at a discounted cost since we are nonprofit, even helping us often to find lov- ing homes for orphaned pets,” Garcia says. Hospice of Green Country is always looking for volunteers with a heart for hospice, and assisting the Pet Peace of Mind program is a special way for people to give back to the community. For information on volunteering, e-mail Carol Goldstein at cgoldstein@hospiceofgreencountry.org. Autumn Kramer oversees Hospice of Green Country’s Pet Peace of Mind program and is also “mom” to the PPOM mascot, Leo the Loving Little Havanese, who has been featured in a past TulsaPets issue. Leo, a certified therapy dog, goes with Kramer on speaking engagements about the agency and the program. For more informa- tion, e-mail Kramer at akramer@hospiceof- greencountry.org. NOW OPEN! scan me! We offer compassionate and expert preventative and diagnostic medicine focusing on helping patients and pet owners have long healthy lives together. Dr. Hans Gann Dr. Brad Howard Dr. Greg Daubney 918-743-1080 3104 E. 51st Street Tulsa, OK 74105 www.tulsavet.net Serving Tulsa’s pets and their people since 1956.