Who We Are
We are a 501(c)(3) organization that serves people with pets who are at risk for losing them due to their own health problems. We foster pets in loving homes while their owners are in the hospital or in a rehabilitation facility. We also place pets with permanent guardians if their owner needs to move to a long term care facility for the duration of their life. Our Visit Volunteers make it possible for every owner to receive a weekly visit from their pet.
THE FULL STORY
My name is Catherine. I started working in nursing homes a few years ago. During those years, I witnessed first hand, the loneliness and grief a person experiences when they lose everything. I started to bring my 90 pound Bernedoodle, LiLi, to visit them. She would make them light up in a way no one else could. She would lick the tears from their cheeks while they wrapped their frail arms around her large furry neck. Whenever I came in to work, the first question I would hear was always, "Where's LiLi?". While LiLi was an immense comfort to them, so many would tell me how much they missed their own faithful, furry companion. To listen to them talk about that deep loss was heartbreaking. It is because of their pain and the love they had for their pets that Filomena's Friends came to be.
(Filomena's Friends currently serves the South Bend/Mishawaka and nearby surrounding areas in Indiana.)
Mission
Filomena's Friends is a community of volunteers who offer either temporary or permanent loving homes for pets while their owners are unable to care for them due to their own poor health.
Vision
Filomena's Friends gives pet owners an alternative option to re-homing or surrendering their beloved friend and instead, keeps them connected through regular visits during hospital, rehab, or nursing home stays.
