05/29/2026
PSA from The Canine Connection’s founder, Sarah: Be sure you have a care plan for your pets!
This isn’t our usual post of happy dogs and people but it’s a really important one. Life is unpredictable and we want to remind you that you need a care plan in place for your pets should you become incapacitated and/or unable to be home.
Last night, I (Sarah) took a tumble that left me in excruciating pain and unable to bear any weight on my right leg. When things had not improved by this morning, it was clear that a trip to the ER was necessary. Fortunately, it appears that nothing is broken, just a bad sprain. Whew! I am home, but will be in a brace and on crutches for a while.
But here is what was foremost on my mind this morning as I prepared to go the ER…. In the event of a prolonged absence or something truly incapacitating, who would take care of my animal family? I am very fortunate to own a dog resort and have a team of experienced dog people around me, but some members of my animal family are very medically fragile and require specialized daily care.
My beloved senior, Rudy, takes multiple meds a day, at specific times, and also requires subcutaneous fluids due to kidney disease. Are there clear, written directions for his treatment and capable people in his village who could take over?
My cat, Leo, has small cell lymphoma and is on a schedule for chemo and other meds. As with Rudy’s complex situation, could someone pick up and continue on with his treatment? (Yes, on the medical front, it’s a sad and challenging time for my animal family.)
My foster dog, Cheeto, is with me precisely because he is… challenging. He is very concerned about strangers. I thought about the layers of back-up needed to ensure a “Friend of Cheeto” would always be available should someone need to enter my home. I think he needs more friends.
The Aussies… comparatively easy peasy but still a few important needs and quirks to consider should someone need to step in for their care.
Of course, there are all of the other things that are part of planning for the unexpected beyond our pets, advanced directives and all the rest. But along with that, planning for our pets can be critical for their well-being and for our peace of mind.
So, if you haven’t already, please invest some time and thought into creating your emergency pet plan. And be sure to share it with those who need to know it. I know I really need to tune mine up (and looks like I’ll have a bit of down time to work on this over the next few days!)
And a couple of other things… be sure you have a “go bag” for each of your pets should you ever need to evacuate with them. And, while none of us wants to consider that our pets might outlive us, please make plans for their placement in the event you aren’t here for them.
Thanks for being proactive with your pets, everyone. I hope you never need to rely on your emergency plans.
Finally… a shout-out! But for the pain that brought me to the Enloe ER this morning, the experience was wonderful - the Enloe Health team was professional, prompt, kind, and caring. I am very grateful for Enloe’s presence in our community.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming 🐶🐾🎾.
