Pet companionship is life changing, particularly for older people. Thankfully, one charity does invaluable work to help keep senior citizens and their pets together.
We all know how much better life is with a cat, or two. Plenty of studies have been done on the benefits of pet ownership for people of all ages, from small children to pensioners.
For older people especially, having a pet can make a huge difference to their quality of life. Love, companionship, a reason to get up in the morning, a talking point when you have visitors… there are so many reasons pets are beneficial. However, as people get older, much-loved pets can also be a source of worry. There can’t be many of us who haven’t wondered what would happen to puss if Granny, or Mum, or even one of us, was ill and in hospital for a long time, or had to go into a care or nursing home — or even if the worst happened and we passed away.
The Cinnamon Trust is a charity which was set up in 1985 in Cornwall by Mrs Averil Jarvis to answer those questions. Its slogan, then and now, is: ‘Peace of mind and practical help for people — love, care, and safety for pets.”
The Trust was named after Mrs Jarvis’ much-loved Corgi, Cinnamon and was run from her home with the help of a small group of volunteers. Now, the Trust has over 20,000 volunteers all over the country, a HQ in Hayle, Cornwall, and two sanctuaries in Devon and Cornwall. Last year, they helped 155, 720 people with 156, 076 pets.
PRACTICAL HELP
We asked Marnie Cude from the Trust what ‘practical help’ and ‘peace of mind’ actually mean and what Cinnamon Trust volunteers do.
“Anything that is needed, from dog-walking to changing the cat-litter and transporting pets to the vet,” she said. “We also provide a fostering service for pets whose owners face a spell in hospital. Volunteers take cats into their own homes and supply love and care until owner and pet can be reunited.
“One of the most important things we do is to reassure owners about the future of their animals if anything should happen to them. People can register their cat or dog with us to come into our care if they pass away or become unable to care for it because of ill health. Once registered, the animal’s future is secure.
FUTURE SECURED
“We do not use kennels or catteries; the pets go into a volunteer’s home. Our profiling scheme means we know as much as possible about a pet, including what kind of home they have come from, and we can replicate that by matching them with the right family among our volunteers.
