A charity which provides unique support for pet owners who are struggling to care for their animal companions, whether through age or disability, injury or illness, will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year.
Rosie’s Trust was founded in 2015 by nurse Bronagh O’Neill who learned first-hand of the impact having an illness can have on people’s ability to look after their pets.
“Bronagh was volunteering with Marie Curie and while she was there, she asked if there was anyone in the hospice who was worried or stressed about a pet at home,” explains Jayne McStay, Rosie’s Trust’s operations manager.
“So, she was introduced to a young man called Michael, who was receiving palliative care for terminal cancer.
“He had a big Weimaraner called Finn who he was really stressed about so Bronagh started walking him on her lunch hour.
“She always says that Finn and Michael were her first beneficiaries - which is what we call our service users.”
As a result, Bronagh started working with organisations including Marie Curie, Macmillan Cancer Support, Age NI and health and social care trusts to find out if there was a need for a service which would help support both people and their pets.
“Through Bronagh’s research she discovered that there was nothing like that and there was a massive need for it in Northern Ireland,” Jayne adds.
“So, she set up Rosie’s Trust, which is named after her own golden retriever.”
Since its establishment, Rosie’s Trust has worked with an increasing number of individuals and their four-legged friends. The charity currently supports 53 beneficiaries and 61 pets.
“What we do is really unique,” says Jayne.
“We do dog walks, vet visits and grooming visits but we also offer short-term fostering if the beneficiary needs to go into hospital or receive hospice care.
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“There’s a lot of beneficiaries who need to go for cancer treatment but will refuse it because there’s no-one to look after their pet, so it provides that extra reassurance.”
The charity also provides a check in service and works closely with social workers and healthcare services to ensure beneficiaries are receiving the best help and support available.
“We’re reaching the most vulnerable and isolated people in the community and the pets are getting us through that door,” explains Jayne.
“People sometimes think we’re an animal charity but we’re not – we care for people and animals, and I think that’s what makes us special.”
However, Jayne is keen to establish that none of this would be possible without the passion and commitment of the charity’s volunteers.
“They are the lifeline of Rosie’s Trust and a lot our volunteers have been with us from the start which just shows you their level of dedication and they’re very professional.
“And because our service isn’t time-bound a lot of our volunteers have established friendships and trust with many of our beneficiaries – some of whom have been with us for 10 years.”
People sometimes think we’re an animal charity but we’re not – we care for people and animals, and I think that’s what makes us special
— Jayne McStay
Rosie’s Trust has also received continued support from the community as well as a few famous faces including Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee and Q Radio presenter Ibe Sesay, who are both ambassadors for the charity.
“It’s so exciting to have them both on board and helping shine a light on what we’re doing – we’re really grateful to have them,” Jayne enthuses.
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“People in general have just been amazing - Aileen Martin, who’s the chair of our trustee board, organised a big fundraiser at Stormont in November and raised significant funds.
“People have run marathons for us and recently there were girls who did a 100 mile walk with their dogs to fundraise for us which was incredible because funds are crucial.”
Preparing to celebrate their tenth anniversary in 2025, Jayne hopes the charity will continue to help and support as many people and pets as possible.
“We’ll be opening our volunteer recruitment programme this month (January) if there’s anyone out there who would like to get involved,” she urges.
“We’ll always welcome new volunteers to help us reach further across Northern Ireland.
“There’s no other service like Rosie’s Trust and honestly the need is really significant so the aim is to just keep growing and bringing on as many volunteers as we can because the more volunteers we have the more beneficiaries we can support.”
