Care worker Jan comes to the rescue of homeless dog Merlin

Jan, a care professional with Radfield, stepped in straight away, giving Merlin a new lease of life.

Jan explained: “I had one very special client, who had a lovely little dog, a Papillion, called Merlin. He was 14 years old and had a heart condition that he needed to take medication for.

“Sadly, my client became unwell and went into hospital for a period of time.

“During this time, she requested that the dog was to stay at home and be looked after by carers, so a rota was put in place to feed and walk and put Merlin to bed, which went over for a lot longer than we had all anticipated.”

“After a period of time, it was clear that the clients’ needs, when she came out of hospital, were far greater than before and the decision was made by her family for her to go into residential care. However, this left one problem - Where was Merlin going to live?” So, her neighbours started to ask around, to see if anyone would rehome Merlin.

“We lost our dogs over 10 years ago to old age, and never thought we would have any more, but when my husband met Merlin, it was love at first sight and we agreed to take him in.

“My client was delighted and I have agreed that once the Covid-19 crisis is all over, I will take Merlin to see her in her nursing home on a regular basis. She is thrilled that he has a loving new home.”

Speaking about the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Jan said: “My husband is 74 years old, with underlying health conditions, so I have to be very careful when I come home after my care calls.

“I have to shower and wash my clothes as soon as I arrive home, before I can even go and say hello to him.

“It’s strange because a lot of my clients don’t seem to be that concerned about the pandemic, we are all living through.

“They’re very stoic about these things, more hardened I guess, as many have lived through the war, so they don’t seem as worried as you may think about becoming poorly with the virus. They are more concerned that us as carers, are staying fit and well.”

See also: Hastings singer gives car park concert for care home residents