By Molly Stewart
For many of us, pets are more than just animals – they’re family. As National Love Your Pet Day shines a light this week on the joy our four-legged companions bring, Molly Finlay, a volunteer with Rosie’s Trust NI, sees first-hand just how powerful that bond can be.
Rosie’s Trust is Northern Ireland’s only charity, dedicated to providing practical support with pet owners who are living with a terminal illness, mobility issues, or even with cancer. It offers services such as pet sitting, dog walking, and even transport to veterinary appointments, helping keep owners and their beloved pets together during difficult times.
Molly Finlay, a volunteer, and support officer for Rosie’s Trust says that their goal is simple, “Caring for people, by caring for their pets”.
Molly added: “We are there to support our beneficiaries with the care of their companion pets, and part of that support can sometimes include fostering and rehoming if that is what the beneficiary decides they need”.
She added, “Each case is different, but no matter the circumstances, we always provide support for as long as we can”.
Molly Finlay also acknowledges that “in cases where we do rehome a pet for a beneficiary who passed away, our team is always very careful to select the absolute best home for them”.
Founded in 2015, Marie Curie volunteer, and trained nurse, Bronagh O’Neill discovered that many of her patients were unable to continue to care for their pets during treatment or as their health declined. Many owners felt guilty and distressed at the thought of living a life without their pets.
The charity is also partnering with the “Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke in the South Eastern Trust area” as they “have a six-month pilot programme” extending “Rosie’s Trust’s existing eligibility criteria to include anyone aged over 18 years old living with mobility issues resulting from a chest, heart or stroke condition”.
Molly Finlay highlights that the aim of Rosie’s Trust, “is to care for people by caring for their pets” and that “through this, we hope to help preserve the special bond between people and their companion pets for as long as possible and give our beneficiaries peace of mind that their pet will be cared for, no matter what”.
Molly Finlay says Rosie’s Trust also aims to address social isolation, adding “As for many of our beneficiaries, the interaction they have with our volunteers may be the only human contact they have all week”
“Having a reliable and regular visitor helps to reduce this isolation, creating meaningful connections for both volunteers and beneficiaries”.
Although Rosie’s Trust focuses on the welfare of animals, Molly Finlay says: “We do not see ourselves as solely an animal charity due to being the only charity in Northern Ireland dedicated to supporting people with the care of their companion pets.
“Volunteers “care for our beneficiaries’ pets every day, but we do so to ensure that our beneficiaries can keep their companion pets by their side through some of the most difficult times in their lives”.
Finlay added: “When someone is going through cancer treatment, receiving end-of-life care, or struggling with mobility issues, they can often feel limited and defined by their illness”.
“We provide the support and care that allows owners to keep being owners, keeping their special friend by their side and giving them one less thing to worry about”.
Molly Finlay says, “this helps them emotionally and mentally, as they know volunteers are there to bridge the gap between what they are able to do themselves and the care their companion pet needs”.
If you need the help of Rosie’s Trust”, then “referrals can be submitted directly via the Rosie’s Trust website”. She also highlights that “if someone with a chest, heart or stroke diagnosis who receives treatment in the South Eastern Health Trust would like to make a referral for themselves, they can also do so through Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke”.
