When their owner died, dogs Toby and Pippa had nowhere to stay. But thanks to an ad on Facebook, within three hours they found a new home and not just one, but many new human friends: the guests of the retirement home in Houghton-le-Spring, England. The same that until a year ago had housed its owner, who later died.
The Yorkshire Terriers, both over ten years old, were also orphaned by their owner and the two animals were cared for by the Delanoy Funeral Service, who did not want them separated for adoption. The company then posted an appeal on Zuckerberg’s social network to find Toby and Pippa somewhere to stay together, and the mission was successful in just three hours. The Facebook post was shared thousands of times and reached hundreds of thousands of users.
The arrival of the dogs at the foster home that adopted them
Among them is Shirley Delap, who runs the facility that later housed the dogs. Upon seeing the ad, the woman asked the company’s director for permission to adopt Toby and Pippa: she, too, thought they shouldn’t be separated and that they could benefit the elderly in the nursing home. Convincing Delap was therefore a coincidence that seemed almost like a sign of fate: like some guests of the Springfield House, the owner of the two four-legged friends was also suffering from dementia and was in the hospital there until her death took place a year ago.
Guests at the local retirement home have become Yorkshire’s new life companions and the dogs have settled in well in their new home, where there is no shortage of cuddles and affection, and where they are welcomed with open arms. “They make you relax,” one of the guests told the BBC. As he climbed onto my lap, I felt completely absorbed. It was a wonderful feeling.” ‘Toby and Pippa here will never be short of love, play, nothing. With them, we have something to look forward to,” said another Springfield House tenant.
In fact, the presence of the four-legged friends has a therapeutic effect on the guests of the retirement home, for whom the two really “moved something”. Shirley Delap, who runs the facility, confirmed this to the BBC: “Animals, especially dogs, bring a sense of calm to people, especially those who suffer from dementia, anxiety or who don’t accept being in a house rest.”
Ultimately, the dogs and the elders of Houghton-le-Spring seem to have saved each other.
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