The Organization and Its Mission
The organization “Last Chance for Man’s Best Friends” aims to meet the problems of unwanted old dogs that need caring and that can further provide care to people staying in nursing homes and at hospitals. Thus, the project will serve both dogs and people lacking emotional support through training the former to communicate with the latter. The ultimate goal of the project’s work is to eliminate the lack of emotional support for old and unwanted dogs and for patients staying in nursing homes and at hospitals who have no one to visit them.
The services will be based in the State of New York, so we will have several departments. The organization’s activities will include searching the dogs that are considered too old for adoption, offering them with the adaptation period, evaluating their ability to provide emotional support, and taking them to hospitals and nursing homes.
The Description of the Problem
The major problem that the organization strives to solve is the lack of emotional support for people staying in nursing homes and at hospitals. Another issue, which is closely associated with the first one, is the need for providing shelter and appropriate care for unwanted old dogs. Finding a solution to these problems is highly significant since the lack of social support may result in such adverse outcomes as depression and loneliness (Liu et al. 750).
However, not only people need good care and positive communication. Animals that have been a part of somebody’s family but are no longer wanted require appropriate help, too. Thus, “Last Chance for Man’s Best Friends” hopes to accomplish a combined goal: enhancing the emotional state of people in nursing homes and at hospitals and giving a chance for peaceful and happy last years of life for dogs.
The number of dogs and other pets varies between the U.S. states. According to 2012 statistics, New York State belongs to those with the fewest pet-owning and dog-owning households: 50.6% and 29%, respectively (“U.S. States with the Most and Fewest Pet Owners”). However, the City of New York boasts different statistics: according to data provided by the Economic Development Corporation, every seventh household in the city has at least one dog (“New York City’s Dog Population”).
In general, these numbers indicate that the citizens of New York City and State are dog-lovers. Unfortunately, these data also mean that there are many unwanted old dogs in the area. Thus, the project “Last Chance for Man’s Best Friends” is needed to solve the problem of these animals and simultaneously help people staying in nursing homes.
To make the statement of need clearer, it is necessary to offer some statistical data on the rescued and euthanized dogs. In general, there are three major reasons why animals get to shelters: they are either stray, or they have been rescued from cruelty, or they are surrendered (“Shelter Intake and Surrender”).
Stray animals are those that live in the street and that are brought to shelters by local authorities or Good Samaritans. Animals that have been saved from cruelty are the ones that used to be kept on puppy mills, god fighting rings, or hoarding houses (“Shelter Intake and Surrender”). Surrendered dogs are the ones whose owners cannot keep them any longer due to the circumstances associated with financial hardships or behavioral issues.
Because the numbers of such dogs are constantly rising, shelters cannot accept many of them, which leads to dramatic outcomes. According to statistics, approximately 3.3 million dogs enter shelters in the US yearly (“Shelter Intake and Surrender”). Out of these, nearly 670,000 dogs are euthanized each year, and nearly 620,000 are returned to their owners. At the same time, about 1.6 million dogs of those getting in shelters are adopted (“Shelter Intake and Surrender”). Therefore, out of all the dogs entering shelters, approximately 48% become adopted and 20% are euthanized (“Shelter Intake and Surrender”). There rates are alarming, and the present project aims at reducing the number of euthanized dogs by offering them a chance to sustain their lives and become a positive change in somebody else’s life.
The Animal Care Centers of NYC offer detailed data on euthanized dogs per each month. For example, in July of 2018, 164 dogs were euthanized in NYC (Animal Care Centers of NYC). Out of this number, 11 were treatable-rehabilitatable, 35 were treatable-manageable, and 118 were unhealthy and untreatable. 84 cases of euthanasia for unhealthy and untreatable dogs were requested by owners or guardians (Animal Care Centers of NYC). Thus, it is possible to conclude that nearly half of all euthanized dogs are quite healthy and safe for people to communicate with, and the project can help to reduce the number of unneeded euthanasia instances.
Another important aspect to discuss in relation to the program is the number of people staying in nursing homes. There are over 600 nursing homes and related facilities in New York (Dennison 3). In 2010, the number of nursing home beds constituted 114,000 (Dennison 3). There has been a decline in public and nonprofit sector, whereas the number of people staying in for-profit facilities has increased (Dennison 3).
While the number of beds has decreased in New York State, the number of admissions is raising (Dennison 5). Along with these fairly significant changes, a striking alteration has been noticed: the number of short-stay patients in New York State is rising considerable (Dennison 6). Both long-term and short-term staying patients could benefit from communicating with dogs since emotional support and positive vibes are as much needed as the care about physical health.
Organizations Providing Similar Services
There is a variety of companies offering services similar to the ones planned by “Last Chance for Man’s Best Friends.” First of all, it is necessary to discuss the availability and activity of nursing homes in the State of New York. According to “NYS Nursing Home Profiles,” there are many facilities offering a range of options for their clients, such as quality of life, safety, high-quality care, preventive care, and others. On the official website of the state’s Department of Health, users can obtain the information about nursing homes and even compare their features to select the most suitable one. Thus, it is possible to conclude that there are many options available for people staying in nursing homes.
Another sphere that had to be researched was the one focused on dog shelters and programs. There are different organizations in the state that deal with rescuing animals and offering to look after old dogs if their owners cannot do it any longer. One firm even has a name similar to the current project. It is called “Last Chance Animal Rescue.” This non-profit organization saves dogs and cats that are to be killed (Last Chance Animal Rescue).
The company relies on donations from charitable organizations and individual benefactors. The organization has successfully operated for ten years, and one of its functions is finding new homes for animals. One more project with a similar mission functioning in the State of New York is “Silver Streak Kennels.” This organization focuses its services exclusively on old dogs (Silver Streak Kennels). At “Silver Streak Kennels,” dog owners are promised that their pets will be taken good care of and will feel happy. These two kinds of organizations coincide with the mission of the project, which is providing emotional support for people in nursing homes and offering care to old dogs.
The Gap in Available Services
Despite the generally beneficial objectives of the mentioned organizations, they all lack the mission that “Last Chance for Man’s Best Friends” want to pursue. Namely, the services offered at the state’s nursing homes and dog shelters focus only on one purpose each, while the proposed project strives to combine the two options. There are nursing homes in New York State that allow their clients either to bring pets with them or to spend time with the animals living on the territory of the facility (Thomas).
However, not all people have enough energy to look after a pet full-time. Also, some individuals may not like cats and other animals that are available in such nursing homes. Meanwhile, the advantages of having animals, particularly dogs, visiting such patients are acknowledged by specialists (Crist). Although it is also admitted that there are some risks of such visits, it is generally acknowledged that both animals and people are happy to communicate in such a way (Crist). Therefore, the major gap existing in the services that are currently available is the lack of a combination of two types of functions.
What the Project Will Do to Address the Need
“Last Chance for Man’s Best Friends” aims to fill in the gap existing in the available organizations. To reach this aim, the project will start with interviewing people staying in nursing homes and asking how they would feel about communicating with dogs on a regular basis. Further, it will be necessary to contact dog shelters to adopt old dogs from them and move them to the organization’s shelter. Next, announcements will have to be made in media addressed to owners of old dogs and encouraging them not to have their pets euthanized or disposed of otherwise but to bring them to the shelter. By fulfilling these functions, the organization will reach its mission and address the outlined need.
The organization will be situated in New York State in the area in close proximity to at least several nursing homes. Most likely, there will not be permanent matches of people and dogs because pets are rarely allowed in nursing homes. Thus, the rotation in dogs’ visitations will be organized in a way that will provide enough time for emotional communication. The animals will live on the organization’s premises in a specialized dog home. At this home, they will receive proper housing and food, as well as they will be provided with healthcare and hygiene services.
Works Cited
Animal Care Centers of NYC. Asilomar Report. 2018. Web.
Crist, Carolyn. “Pets in Nursing Homes Bring both Benefits and Risks.” Reuters. 2018. Web.
Dennison, Thomas H. New York’s Nursing Homes: Shifting Roles and New Challenges. 2013. Web.
Last Chance Animal Rescue. Last Chance Animal Rescue, 2018. Web.
Liu, Lijun, et al. “Social Support Mediates Loneliness and Depression in Elderly People.” Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 21, no. 5, 2014, pp. 750-758.
“New York City’s Dog Population.” NYCEDC. 2017. Web.
“NYS Nursing Home Profiles.” New York State, n.d. Web.
“Shelter Intake and Surrender.” ASPCA, n.d. Web.
Silver Streak Kennels. Silver Streak Kennels Dog Retirement Home, n.d. Web.
Thomas, Lori. “Pet Friendly Assisted Living Facilities and Nursing Homes.” Senior Advice, n.d. Web.
“U.S. States with the Most and Fewest Pet Owners.” DogTime, n.d. Web.