CSU's Pet Hospice Program

I just have to brag a bit about the achievements of my colleagues at my former job...

The year before I left the Argus Institute at Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital, we had the opportunity to collaborate with several local veterinarians who were interested in starting a pet hospice service in our community.  The Argus Institute was fortunate to have Gail Bishop on staff who was an experienced Hospice volunteer/trainer and willing to coordinate the pilot program.

Well, in the most recent CSU veterinary college enewsletter for faculty and alumni, there is an article saying the Pet Hospice program at CSU has expanded to 36 veterinary student volunteers and can now serve 15 terminally ill pets and their human families at any one time.   About 90 families have been helped since the program began and 22 local veterinary clinics have participated.  Since the beginning of the program, more than 120 students have been trained as volunteers and gained real world experience in providing grief support and palliative care.  What I like about this is that these students will take their skills to their practices when they go out into the world and hopefully offer pet hospice programs in their communities.  When you provide this type of training in the university environment, it has a ripple effect in the field of veterinary medicine. 

CSU has the only university-based, veterinary student-led pet hospice program in the world.  If you want to learn more, visit http://www.argusinstitute.colostate.edu/pethospice.htm (Image is the 2008-2009 Argus Pet Hospice volunteers.)

--Laurel

Comments

[Chris]

I consider myself fortunate to know Gail, Jane, Del Rae & Erin from the Argus Institute, they are truly wonderful people.

Congratulations to Gail and this program for expanding, I hope Pet Hospice will expand to more communities across the world.

[Dana]

I'm also fortunate to know some of these amazing people at the Argus Center and I feel proud to know that I had a part in making Argus what it is today. Great post Laurel!

[Tammy]

Me too :) I got my start working with Laurel, Debby, and Dana in 2001 at the Argus Institute. I learned so much while working there!