Pets Are Wonderful Support (Paws) NY, a nonprofit dedicated to helping older and vulnerable adults take care of their pets, developed a short film to underscore the important and often life-saving role that pets can play in our lives.
"The Bridge," made in collaboration with Klick Health, is an animated short film inspired by a true story about a New Yorker who has suicidal thoughts and crosses paths with an abandoned dog.
The bond between the duo ultimately ends up saving the man's life.
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The film does an "incredible job at very powerfully demonstrating how these relationships truly can be lifesaving," Paws NY founder Rachel Herman told Fox News Digital.
The film is a chance for Herman to raise awareness for her organization, whose work often goes unnoticed.
Herman and a band of volunteers have helped scores of older adults and individuals living with illness or disability care for their pets through various services and programs ever since the program was founded in 2008.
The services include dog walking, litter maintenance, medication administration and provision of food and water.
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"The individuals that we help — they often tell us their pet is their best friend, their sole source of companionship, their reason for waking up every day," she said.
She added that they want to continue helping more New Yorkers to preserve these vital relationships.
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Most of their clients are not only "struggling with providing physical pet care, but they also don't have the financial resources to have somebody come in and support them," Herman said.
Herman was inspired to start the organization after she walked by a young homeless couple and their dog sitting outside a grocery store in the early 2000s.
"At the time, homeless shelters didn't allow pets. And I thought: How heartbreaking is this that this couple may be giving up a warm bed at night because of the strong relationship with their pet," she said.
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It made her realize how difficult caring for a pet can be later in life when people are faced with certain obstacles.
"Our goal is to improve the quality of life for older adults and other vulnerable New Yorkers," Herman said.
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"We do that by providing pet care support that helps them to keep their pets when they may be forced to give them up due to the obstacles that they're facing."
Although Herman knows the organization's work is critical, she's also aware that much of what the organization does happens behind closed doors.
However, the short film, which was posted to YouTube last month, has already received "phenomenal" feedback, according to Klick Health.
Bernardo Romero, who joined Klick Health in 2022 to create impactful campaigns and products that positively impact people’s health, believes storytelling is "a very powerful way to change behavior."
"We've been talking a lot about mental health and how we can do a better job at taking care of ourselves," Romero said.
"This film brings a potential solution to the table."
