Partner Spotlight: Patient Pet Advocates
Helping people, helping pets
When illness strikes, the worry about who will care for beloved pets can add tremendous stress to an already difficult situation. Cascade Health is proud to partner with Patient Pet Advocates (PPA), a nonprofit that ensures our patients' animal companions receive the care they need during health crises, transitions, or end-of-life situations.
A Cascade Connection from the Beginning
Patient Pet Advocates’ roots are deeply intertwined with Cascade Health itself. The organization began in 2017 as Hospice Pet Advocates when two Cascade Health employees—Ruth Helle, a medical social worker, and Thea Peck, a hospice nurse—were asked to take custody of a dog facing abandonment due to a patient's death.
Armed with little more than a leash, an empty shed, and compassionate hearts, Ruth and Thea conducted their first rescue. Soon after, requests began pouring in from other hospice workers seeking help for patients in similar circumstances. Recognizing a critical community need, they partnered with fellow pet lovers to establish what would become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to solving this problem through education, outreach, and direct assistance.
Services That Make a Difference
Today, Patient Pet Advocates offers comprehensive services for people facing profound health challenges:
Temporary foster care for pets while owners are hospitalized or in rehabilitation
Permanent placement services when owners can no longer care for a pet
Emergency planning assistance
Education and resources to prevent illness-related, unintentional animal neglect or abandonment
"Planning is always better than making assumptions," says Executive Director Cynthia Smith, who has seen firsthand the heartbreak when families discover too late they cannot accommodate a loved one's pet. PPA encourages everyone to include pets in their estate planning—specifying guardians (with backups) and setting aside funds for continued care.
Senior Pets for Senior People
Many of the animals PPA helps are seniors themselves, having shared years of companionship with their owners. The organization has developed a senior-to-senior foster program, placing older animals with residents in senior living communities who benefit from having a furry friend. Grief is not just a human emotion; pets go through a grief period after they lose their person, and a loving foster can help a cat or dog (or parrot or pig, both of which PPA has encountered!) find joy in life again.
What many don't realize is that numerous senior and assisted living communities allow small pets. These environments can be perfect for fostering animals awaiting adoption. To make this possible for seniors on fixed incomes, PPA covers all expenses—from supplies to veterinary care—and handles the adoption promotion at community events, removing burdens that many organizations place on foster families.
Thanks to partnerships with Q Street Animal Hospital and a retired veterinarian board member, all adoptable animals receive complete medical care, including vaccines and microchipping.
A Partnership of Compassion
Patient Pet Advocates’ services align perfectly with Cascade Health’s commitment to comprehensive patient care, recognizing that concern for beloved pets can be a significant source of anxiety during health crises.
By ensuring that our patients' animal companions receive proper care—whether through temporary fostering during a hospital stay or finding loving new homes when necessary—PPA helps provide peace of mind during difficult transitions.
We're grateful for the compassionate work Patient Pet Advocates continues to do for our patients and proud to support their vital mission in our community.
To find out more about Patient Pet Advocates and how you can volunteer, donate and support, visit patientpetadvocates.org.