Finding Strength in Farewell: Insights from pet owners facing loss
March 22, 2024
by Sophie Günther
According to statistics, there are almost half a million dogs in Ireland’s households, making dogs the most popular pet in Ireland. And while approximately one in four households own a dog, this does not necessarily prevent owners from feeling lonely.
Especially senior dog owners, whose dogs are likely to face increasing challenges, may wish for a community to provide help and support. But what if this community already existed? Meet “Senior Paws”, a social enterprise founded by Hanching Chuang and Michael Coffey.
The start of Senior Paws: a personal journey to address a gap in support
“Back in 2022, our sausage dog, Bowie, had a back injury. He was basically paralyzed at that moment, and we found it really hard to find support. When we tried to find pet aid, we found it a bit difficult, and I was unsure how to really maintain the health of our dog because this was totally new for us. And we thought if there is an organization, a platform that can do that for us instead of us looking for the answer one by one, that would be great”, Hanching recalls.
The story of their sausage dog, alongside their experience of taking care of their second senior dog Momo, who battled dementia and heart disease, was what inspired them to start developing the concept of their social enterprise in 2022. Eventually, the couple had to put down both of their dogs, which further fuelled their wish and need for, as Hanching says, “a community that can help senior dog owners in sharing their experiences and that can support them, even through this final decision”. As they bid farewell to their furry companions, their resolve solidified: to build a community that supports dog owners, even through the last stage of their pet's life.
Hanching and Michael also wish to prepare dog owners for the challenges they may have to face with their dog all along their journey of being a dog owner. Indeed, these challenges may not be visible from the start.
For the most part, everybody envisions having a dog like it’s all happy, it’s walks, and it’s playing time. And it is all of that, but that’s only one half, and then the other half is barely thought about: it’s reduced mobility, and all these things that can go wrong. And that is also a significant portion of the dog’s life”.
Hanching's background in journalism and Michael's professional experience in the charity sector converged, driving them to establish their social enterprise “Senior Paws” with its mission to support dog owners, putting particular emphasis on senior dogs.
From concept to reality: Partnering with Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
To put their idea into action, Hanching and Michael turned to Social Entrepreneurs Ireland (SEI), a not-for-profit organization supporting people with innovative ideas to tackle Ireland's social problems. Hanching “saw an advertisement from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland looking for applicants, that if you have an idea that can impact society just make your application. At that time, Momo was already not so well and I felt maybe I could do something. So we made our application to SEI”, more specifically, to a program called “Ideas Academy”.
“The Ideas Academy is a 3-month long program that is aimed at people who are at the very beginning of their journey of being a social entrepreneur, so it is someone who has an idea, a unique insight into a problem. It is really to help people move from the idea stage to the action stage”, explains Eabha Harper-McKeever, SEI program manager.
Having entered the application process, the next challenge was for Hanching and Michael to be accepted into the program. Indeed, the competition is rough: among over 130 applications, only 30 get selected. However, their application stood out to SEI, as Eabha recalls. “We were not able to see a lot of other examples of people trying to do or tackle this specific problem in Ireland, which makes their idea very interesting and also quite new. Their personal connection and personal experience made the application particularly strong, and they have a really strong understanding of the problem”, which led them to successfully be admitted into the program.
I know a lot of people might be thinking ‘Is this really a huge social problem?’, but we saw, through Hanching and Michael’s understanding of the situation, that a lot of people who own older dogs might be older people as well, so they might be a bit more vulnerable in terms of mobility, their emotional connection and their financial situation. And an older dog can absolutely have a strain on your financial situation in terms of vet bills. And it is probably an increasing problem.”
It was during the program that Hanching and Michael’s beloved dog Momo passed away. When Hanching shared the news with the other members, who emphasized to her, “It was really highlighting her solution and showing that her idea is so needed because losing a dog is such an emotional thing, especially when it’s an older dog and you have cared for it for a long time”, Eabha remembers.
The need for advice and support among dog owners is endless. Indeed, there are very broad challenges, especially for senior dog owners. As Michael says, “challenges senior dog owners face range from ‘where do I find a groomer that is gentle with my senior dog’, ‘how do I cut my dog's toenails’ or the dog going for a surgery and ‘what can I expect, what’s the recovery process’, to euthanasia, unfortunately. We all hope that our dogs pass away peacefully in their sleep but a lot of the time that’s not the case, so euthanasia is a common topic on the platform.” “We are not the vets, we are more like a companion”, Hanching clarifies. “
We are there through the process and we are there to really support the owner’s feelings”.
Through the combination of online and in-person sessions, Hanching and Michael furthered their personal development as social entrepreneurs. Moreover, the program helped them to discover their strengths and to expand their networking abilities. SEI allowed the founders to refine their idea – and by the end of the program, they were ready to pilot, which, according to Eabha, “is our metric of success”.
Empowering others: the birth of the Senior Paws community
To give senior dog owners the support they need, Hanching and Michael launched their community platform on Facebook. Additionally, they used their skills and knowledge to build their own website, where they publish articles, which serve as an additional resource for dog owners. Since launching Senior Paws, they have successfully managed to grow their community, which, speaking of today, already entails (quite literally) 117 dogs and 115 dog owners.
Dolly McEnery is one of them. Having been friendly with Hanching for a while, the 82-year-old owns a senior dog herself, 8-year-old Kai. She joined the Senior Paws community believing that the social enterprise is “a great idea”. Having discovered three years ago that Kai suffers from bad allergies, Senior Paws gave Dolly the opportunity to connect with other members of the community to get advice: “I know now that he can’t have treats, the normal treats, so instead of that he loves carrots and sweet potatoes”.
Senior Paws also provides emotional support for her. “The more ill the dog gets, the more you wish you could do something else, and it’s the support that you get from other people through Senior Paws then. You do not have to suffer alone” Dolly says. Senior Paws has not only improved the quality of life of her dog but also her quality of life as a dog owner. “You are blaming yourself thinking ‘Have I done something wrong to cause this?’. I now realize that other people, other owners deal with the same type of thing and that it is not my fault that I am doing something wrong.”
Global Impact: connecting dog owners worldwide
The help provided through the Senior Paws community is not only appreciated in Ireland. Indeed, the community knows no borders. “We have members not just from Ireland, but also from America, from my home country Taiwan, from the UK, and I think the power of the internet really connects people”, Hanching says.
Every week we have new members joining, it is something beyond the language”.
One of their members from Taiwan is BaiWen Lee. BaiWen has had 9 dogs in her lifetime, and rescued her last dog, Lucky, from an animal trap. Even though the dog was severely injured and required intensive care, his energy and friendly personality still shone through, which she found to be truly remarkable. The most severely injured leg had to be amputated, but this did not stop Bai Wen from giving Lucky another 10 happy years, before he passed away in October 2023.
Through Senior Paws, BaiWen was able to tell her story and share her experience of being a senior dog mom providing for a dog with special needs, given Lucky’s amputation. For example, she made a special wheelchair for Lucky, an experience other dog owners in similar situations can find helpful. When Lucky passed away, she got support from Hanching herself, but also from the Senior Paws community, who listened to her and gave her the companionship she needed in this difficult time. For BaiWen, the most touching part is seeing the members in different countries and different places, yet they are all going forward with the same purpose, and she now uses the platform to encourage other senior dog owners.
Challenges and aspirations: navigating the road ahead
Despite their success, the social entrepreneurs still face some challenges on their journey. For Hanching, the main one is “to reach out to people. Not everyone will respond, maybe because we are just very new and people need more trust. In Taiwan, when I worked in a big media company, you can very quickly get your interviewees, while here I feel like I need to get the courage to reach out to people more.”
Additionally, the social enterprise is still discovering different resources and possibilities. “When we communicate with more dog owners, we gain insights into various needs, which can make us eager to solve everyone's problems all at once. However, during the initial stages of entrepreneurship, we must consider factors like manpower, time, and budget. Achieving maximum impact within an efficient timeframe is not an easy task, “ Michael explained.
These hurdles do not stop the founders from pursuing their journey. As Michael says, “I love to see members communicate with one another: people reaching out to one another and helping one another in these situations. Hanching and I can’t always be the ones providing advice on the platform, because we don’t have all the answers. So seeing the community support one another, that’s probably the best part”.
For Hanching, her favourite part is “Everything, especially the interviews, because I still have the spirit of a reporter in me. I love to ask questions, and I feel like I am representing all the dog owners, and I have the chance to reach out to vets and ask questions on their behalf. ” She particularly enjoys putting expert knowledge together so that members of the community have access to it. She also loves to listen to other owners’ stories.
“I find that quite touching as well, we share with each other, and in the end, we touch each other. Through the interviews, and through talking, we are kind of in the process of healing. And although our dog will pass away, the owners still stay together.”
Supporting Senior Paws: Building a strong community
Like many social enterprises, Senior Paws welcomes all kinds of support. “I think a very simple way individuals can help us right now is for dog owners to join the community, that’s already supporting us. And when they have friends or family that have a dog they can also just share our information and we would appreciate that as well”, Hanching says.
Michael adds that they are also open to professionals, for example, groomers, vets, physiotherapists, or trainers. “If they want to be interviewed about their business, and share their information and knowledge about their business for Senior Paws, to help each other, it is kind of a win-win situation”.
And while receiving funding is a crucial next step, the social enterprise is cautious about accepting it prematurely, recognizing the potential impact on its services. Developing a robust network is important before integrating funding, ensuring that the organization is well-equipped to utilize resources effectively. As Senior Paws prepares for future growth, the emphasis remains on establishing a solid foundation and network first.
Milestones and vision: Senior Paws’ future – and the present
The founders perceive every interview they conduct and every article they write as crucial milestones. “Every little step is important to us”, Michael says. Hanching recalls, “We also had an interview on WLR Radio's 'Deise Today' in August 2023, where we had a chance to share our idea, so I think this was also a good milestone to us. Every step is like a milestone for us”.
When picturing the future of Senior Paws, Hanching and Michael envision offering various information sessions and workshops to help their members. Michael suggests that “it could be online workshops where we provide dietary classes, for example. It could be really simple, but it could mean a lot to senior dog owners”.
The members of the Senior Paws community would also look forward to meeting each other, whether that might be online to defy time and space for international members like BaiWen, or in person “somewhere in a park”, as Dolly suggests: “Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a little picnic or something with all the dogs?”. Her personal hopes for her future as a Senior Paws community member are to “continue to get the information and the support that I need so Kai can be as lively and healthy as he is without having to spend so much money. Because sometimes when you share information there is an easier way or a less expensive way”.
This is why as of right now, Hanching and Michael’s main focus on developing content to build into the website, so that dog owners can use these resources and have access to the expertise they need when facing questions or concerns, Michael explains. “These are all people going through similar situations, similar experiences and it just prepares people for what they can expect. I think the implication with Senior Paws is to bring awareness, although like we mentioned we focus on senior dogs, but no matter the age, you should consider the future you want, or be careful about certain diseases”. As Hanching phrases it: “The vets can try their best to treat the dog, and we are here to care about the owner’s mindset as well because that’s equally important”.
