One welfare a framework to improve animal welfare and human well-being

The Social Implications of Improved Animal Welfare 35

and animal welfare
charities. By encour-
aging local residents to
volunteer, it also helps
create community co-
hesion and mutually
beneficial empowering
relationships.
Reaching people
through their love of
animals enables OSF
to act as a high-impact,
low-cost, early-interven-
tion health and wel-
fare initiative for both
humans and animals.
OSF bridges the gap
between existing ser-
vices, filling the void
with a collaborative
multidisciplinary ap-
proach. By targeting
socially isolated cases
OSF often identifies
unmet health and so-
cial care needs, which
may be concealed from
others, and helps link those in need to other social and health care providers.
OSF provides support at three key levels:

• Practical:
  help with dog walking or cleaning the cat tray;
  enabling a pet to stay with its owner;
  sourcing, introducing and monitoring a new pet;
  regular visits from a ‘visiting’ dog and volunteer.


• Emotional:
  coping with difficult pet decisions;
  pet bereavement and the impact of loss;
  pet care planning to give peace of mind and avoid crises.


• Organizational:
  work with veterinarians, hospices and other organizations;
   referral to specialists when support is needed.

Two brief examples of work undertaken by OSF follow.
A woman in her mid-70s had relied on her dog, Poppy, while caring for her late hus-
band (image a). Soon after his death, she too was diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Case Study 7. Continued.

(b)

Continued