Lowcountry Dog Animal Advocate

Written by Julie Murray

Dr. Sally Brown Lanford

Bees Ferry Veterinary Hospital

This month’s Animal Advocate is Dr. Sally Brown Lanford, Owner of Bees Ferry Veterinary Hospital and Director of Happy’s Porch. Happy’s Porch is a non-profit organization located just outside of Charleston that is dedicated to improving the quality of life for elderly animals and the humans who love them. Dr. Lanford came up with the idea for this after years of seeing pets left behind after their owners passed away or became unable to care for them due to infirmity. I spoke with her and learned all about this wonderful place. “I have been a veterinarian in Charleston for 30 years. During that time I have become close with many of my clients...so through the years I have counseled many people about planning for the care of their pet.” She urges them not to assume that family members will undertake the responsibility of caring for their pets after their passing. “The family may have pets of their own that don’t get along with the pet left behind, their housing situation may not allow it, or the stress and grief may make it impossible for them to take on another responsibility.” This often leads to the pet being taken to a shelter, scared and wondering where their “person” has gone. Other life events, such as hospitalization, divorce, or moving to assisted living or hospice may also lead someone to give up their animal. When this happens, Dr. Lanford says the people are often devastated, worried, and unable to rest or heal while worrying about the welfare of their pet. After seeing this happen many times throughout her career, Dr. Lanford came up with the idea for a place where animals can go when their people can no longer care for them.

“[It’s] a home, a real home, with couches and beds and cat trees and a fenced yard. A place where owners can visit if they like or, if their health does not allow, we can take the pet to them for visitation as long as possible.” That way, the animal is still loved and cared for, and the owner knows that their pet is safe and will have a place to be for the rest of its life. Dr. Lanford told me that her favorite thing to witness is the human/animal bond and how strong and amazing it is. “My favorite part of what we do is taking animals to see their owners in hospice. They bring such comfort to each other and often after that last visit, the owner is able to pass peacefully, knowing their beloved companion will be OK.” Not only does Happy’s Porch provide peace of mind and security, they also fill a great need in the rescue community. “Through the years we have pulled over 250 critically ill animals and made them whole. Seeing them move on to their forever homes is absolutely breathtaking!” Dr. Lanford said she learned so much about this special bonding that occurs from the organization’s namesake, Happy the Golden Retriever. “Happy was my family’s golden retriever that we had when my kids were growing up...she was 3 years old when we got her and we were her SEVENTH home.” Even though the first part of Happy’s life was rough, she lived the rest of her years with a loving family and became the inspiration for this amazing organization.

For most people, making plans for their eventual passing is extremely difficult. It is easier to assume that your friends and family will continue caring for your pets after you are gone. Dr. Lanford recommends putting a plan in place, even if you are 100% confident about your animal’s future. “Don’t assume anything - have a serious talk, whether it’s with your best friend, a family member, your dog walker or your veterinarian.” Even better, get it in writing. Your pet, your best friend, is worth that uncomfortable talk! Love and affection for the animals are two important components that Happy’s Porch is absolutely overflowing with on a daily basis. On another level, though, they have financial and practical needs, just like we all do. “Our organization has several needs but one of our biggest needs is space. We need a place where we can operate a very low cost spay/neuter clinic for animals from counties such as Berkeley, Lee, Colleton and Hampton that don’t have the community support that Charleston County does.” They are always looking for fosters as well and, of course, donations - monetary and also things like towels, food, paper towels, cat litter, etc… “[Another] easy way to help is to shop using smile.amazon.com and select Happy’s Porch as your charity. Amazon donates 1% to us - and it doesn’t cost the shopper anything.” And as always, Dr. Lanford encourages people to spread the word in their communities about spaying and neutering.