David and Mia’s Story

Since I began working at Patient Pet Advocates, in 2020, I have answered a lot of questions, such as: "Is PPA an animal rescue?" "Sometimes." "Is PPA a hospice program?" "Sometimes." "Does PPA do pet sitting?" "Sometimes." It is hard to define what PPA does because what we do is help people and animals, and that can take the form of many different types of services. I think the best way to illustrate what we do is with a story about a client and his pet.

David was retired and living alone in Arizona. Early in he adopted a sweet dog named Mia from a shelter. Mia had been kept in a crate most of her life, and she didn't really know how to be a dog. David made it his mission to teach her. Mia traveled with David to Oregon to wander the beaches and spend time near the ocean. They spent the summer getting to know each other while falling in love with Oregon. Then David received the kind of news that no one ever wants to hear: he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. David needed to stay in Eugene to begin receiving treatment to help prolong his life. He also needed to make a plan for Mia. He had promised to take care of her, and David was a man of his word.

He was discussing his need to take care of Mia with his doctor when his doctor recommended David reach out to PPA. David then contacted us with many questions about who we were and what we did. Eventually, he brought Mia into the office to meet everyone. Mia frequently joined us in the office while David had his treatments, and she quickly became everyone's friend. One day when David came to pick up Mia, he told us that the treatments were no longer working. He found himself needing to make a lot of decisions in a very short time. He had come to trust PPA and saw us as an important part of his care team.

He decided it was time to place Mia with a loving foster with the plan to find her the best forever family. It was a hard decision for David as Mia had been his best friend throughout his illness, but he wanted only the best for her. Mia was adopted by a member of her PPA foster family, so she will always be a part of PPA. David passed away knowing that he had fulfilled his promise to Mia and that she was safe and loved.

Now, when people ask what we do at PPA, I tell them about David and Mia and our journey with them. Help us to keep helping those who only want the best future for their pets - even if that future is without them.