Currently: 52°F
Pets that belong to terminally ill patients and elderly residents in Lancaster County have “forever homes,” thanks to Dr. Debra Vredenburg-Rudy. Vredenburg, psychology, was honored for her work October 28, as WGAL’s 32nd annual Jefferson Award recipient.
“We are not a rescue shelter for animals,” says Vredenburg on her 501 (c) 3, nonprofit organization Pet Guardians. “We are a small network of individuals who love animals and want to help others.”
In 2006, Vredenburg started Pet Guardians to help elderly persons and terminally ill patients find homes for their pets when they were unable to care for them. She took her cat and, at that time, a small dog, to visit elderly residents in assisted care. It was through her experiences with animal assisted therapy that she discovered many of the residents worried about the fate of their companion animals. Some were left with no other option but to take their pet to a shelter without knowing its ultimate fate. Many of the residents spoke about the memories of their pets with both great joy and sadness.
According to Vredenburg, “We try to bring peace of mind to those who are suffering and dealing with significant life transitions by finding good homes for their pets and as a result, we help keep them out of shelters that are bursting at the seams with homeless dogs and cats. Each year, according to the Humane Society of America, six to eight million dogs and cats enter shelters across the country, and less than half of those animals are ever adopted.” Several of the Pet Guardians adopters keep in touch with previous owners by sending cards, photos and letters and some even take the pet to visit.
Vredenburg and her husband recently took Zip, an Australian cattle dog, to visit his owner in the Cardiac Transplant Unit at the University of Pennsylvania hospital. A social worker had contacted Vredenburg about a patient from Mount Joy who had suffered a massive heart attack after the sudden death of his wife, and on top of everything else, was about to be evicted in a week. The patient could not speak. On a scrap of paper, he wrote the words, “Please don’t kill Zip.” Zip, the social worker later learned, was the man’s dog that was left alone in the apartment. Vredenburg and her husband got the dog and took him home until a suitable foster was found. Zip is currently staying with Sarah White, a recent psychology graduate of Millersville University, until his owner recovers.
Pet Guardians consists of all volunteers, there are no paid positions. Dr. Mary Margaret Kelly, psychology, and Anna Stauffer, purchasing, are both volunteers and board members. Pet Guardians receives no local, state or federal funding and charges no service fee to clients or adopters. It is truly a mission of the heart.
As well as investing her own money in the organization, Vredenburg spends considerable time serving her role as founder and president for Pet Guardians. Some of her responsibilities include searching for prospective homes for pets; fundraising for Pet Guardians; setting up initial and follow-up visits to potential adopters; fostering and transporting pets to the vet and maintaining all paperwork incorporate with the organization.
Vredenburg has been actively helping animals for many years. She and her husband, Bob Rudy, have four dogs, three cats and two foster dogs. Bob won the 2005 Jefferson Award for community service.
For more information on Pet Guardians, visit: http://www.petguardians.org/.
