When Pat’s husband of 53 years, Pete, passed away, she was left feeling lost, empty and helpless. Having met in the 50’s, Pete and Pat were inseparable right up until his death, where a huge space appeared in Pat's life. She stopped getting out of bed in the morning, stopped eating, and says it was even “hard work leaving the house”. Her longing for something to fill the void her husband had left behind continued for months until her loving granddaughter, Andrea, decided it was time to step in.
Pat and Cookie
After filling out an application to adopt a dog from Blue Cross, Andrea set up a meeting for her Grandmother and Cookie – the pup who would soon change Pat’s life. “He helped me make another life for myself” says Pat. “I feel safe in the house knowing he’s there. He gets me out of the house, has gotten me mixing with people again - we go for lots of walks through the Bluebell Wood.”
Cookie gave Pat “something to get up for in the mornings” and she finally felt like she had true purpose again. Granddaughter Andrea has seen a real difference saying: “She’ll ring me up now and tell me what Cookie has been doing throughout the day - instead of not getting out of bed, they’ll go for walks. She has someone to care for.”
When Cookie the sheepdog arrived, Pat became happy again for the first time in months, and she found a new lease of life with her “gorgeous, brilliant companion”.
Pat and Cookie are proof that although we change the lives of pets, they have the ability to change ours too.
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