This document discusses a UK charity called Our Special Friends that provides support for vulnerable human-animal relationships. The charity offers services like dog walking, advice on caring for pets, visits from volunteers and their dogs, help sourcing new pets, and support for difficult decisions. The goal is to increase awareness of the benefits of human-animal bonds and provide assistance around the loss or bereavement of a pet. The charity takes a collaborative approach using volunteers and aims to address unmet community needs through low-cost interventions that integrate human and animal health and social care.

1. countless studies and, for many people, their
pet is a vital companion, providing friendship,
security and continuity, especially at
challenging times.
Our Special Friends is a UK based charity
supporting vulnerable human-animal
relationships offering practical and emotional
support using a multi-disciplinary collaborative
approach.
The help we offer includes:
 dog-walking or accompanied walking via our
volunteers or others
 advice and practical support to keep a pet
living with its owner
 regular visits from a volunteer with their
own dog (animal-assisted activity)
 sourcing, introducing and monitoring a new
pet
 supporting and empowering difficult
decisions.
Increased awareness and understanding of
the benefits of the human-animal bond and
the impact of loss and bereavement.
This work includes:
 providing advice and support pre-, during-
and post-bereavement
 encouraging planning for the care of the
animal to give peace of mind.
Belinda Johnston MA Vet MB MRCVS
www.ourspecialfriends.org
Suffolk, UK, IP28 6PA
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Service delivery
New cases April – Sept 2015
he benefits of animal
companionship on human
wellbeing have been proved by
Community
Outreach
T
Conclusion
This approach is a powerful, low cost intervention for
accessing and addressing unmet needs in the
community; a new multi-faceted jigsaw piece
integrating human and animal health and social care.
A typical testimonial from a client...
"I will never be able to thank you enough.
You were the lifeguard when I thought I
was drowning, and it was so helpful
knowing that you understood and cared,
thank you."
Numberofcases
68 year old socially isolated man,
referred by social care. OSF initiated
and secured veterinary care for ‘Billy’,
his only friend and lifeline.