Policies
Transparency
We operate an open-door policy, so people can visit the Hospice by prior arrangement, meet our residents, and meet us and our family and have a cup of tea. Please get in touch by phone or email to arrange your visit.
Fundraising
We pledge to raise and hold funds transparently, ethically and responsibly. We will not make emotionally manipulative appeals to raise donations. We will only fund raise the money we need to operate and provide the care we promise to deliver.
When appealing for help with specific target amounts, eg for a vet bill, we will not attempt to raise more than we need and we will share the amount raised.
We will attempt to have three months' operating budget in the bank at all times to ensure that we are never in dire straits financially and that we can always provide for our residents.
Run By Volunteers
Nobody receives any monetary or other compensation for their work and time. Because we are run entirely by volunteers, it means that all donations go directly where they should; to giving the weans the best lives we possibly can.
Accounts
Our annual accounts are independently audited each year and along with our Trustees' Annual Report, they are submitted to the Office for the Scottish Charity Regulator. You can find more information about our finances here. Our audited statement of account and Trustees' Annual Report are also available upon request. Please contact us if you would like to request these.
Compassion and Dignity
When each wean arrives, we make a promise; 'When you tell us it's time, we promise we will listen. Until then, let's make it good...'
Many of the animals who come to us have never known love and care from humans, so gaining trust and creating friendship is often as important in helping their mental well-being as veterinary treatment is to helping their physical well-being.
We get to know them very well so that we can do the things they enjoy; friendship and having a cheerleader to make the good days amazing and the harder days gentler, and is a reason to get out of bed and enjoy every moment.
We believe in compassion and dignity in life and in death, so we do everything we can for our friends so that they do not lose dignity at the end of their lives and their last moments are respectful, dignified and peaceful.
Euthanasia
From the Greek, meaning "good death"
We know that inevitably, every one of the weans and especially those on palliative care, will one day give us 'The Nod', and the bottom will fall out of our stomach and our future together shrinks from days, weeks and months to hours, minutes and seconds. Sometimes this is sudden, sometimes we can see death on the horizon. Either way, it is excruciatingly painful every time, but our promise to them when they arrive is that we will listen when they tell us it's time, and that we will do what they need.
Together with our excellent vets we take this responsibility of making decisions on their behalf very seriously. We make death as peaceful, comfortable and dignified as we can, and we are with our friends, singing their songs, telling them wee stories of the good times, holding them, or giving them space if they prefer less fuss, with their favourite treats or best toy, or just a peaceful quietness... whatever it is they want and need us to be and do, until the end.
Every decision and every wean's situation will be taken on its own merit, and we will always make decisions based on what they need us to do for them, and we are open and honest with our supporters about how and why we reached the decision we did.
Every one of the weans is taken on their final journey by their wummin/mammy to the wonderful Paws To Rest Pet Crematorium, where they are cremated with dignity.
Policies, Procedures and Record Keeping
We have a robust range of regularly reviewed and updated operational policies and procedures in place, covering animal welfare best practices, daily care routines, cleaning, health and safety, emergency protocols, euthanasia, volunteer guidance, transparency, and more.
We also keep detailed records of animal care, vet treatment and volunteer training. These are submitted to the local authority as part of our licencing inspections and are available on request.
