A St. Paul couple rests easier knowing their dog is receiving loving care while they escape to Florida for a month in the winter and take shorter trips at other times during the year. Whenever Mary and Jerry go out of town, their friend, Annette Maros, steps inside their home to care for Jack, an energetic 5-year-old Shih Tzu. Jack and Annette enjoy their time together, and we benefit from it as well, because Annette donates all her dog-sitting earnings to Our Lady of Peace (OLP).
“Mary and I have been friends since grade school at Ascension, and I’ve told her she doesn’t have to pay me to care for Jack,” Annette says. “One day she insisted on compensating me and said, ‘Donate it to charity, if you don’t want to keep it,’ and I realized that was a good idea.”
Annette says OLP popped into her head because her beloved Auntie Ann was well cared for in our hospice residence. Annette wants others to have the same opportunity by supporting our hospice care in St. Paul. “I want to continue to raise money for Our Lady of Peace,” she says.
Jack and Annette have fun together while Jack’s parents are away, and it allows Annette to get out of her apartment and into a house for a while. “I like spending time with a dog, without having one of my own,” she says. “Jack lets me know when it’s time to play, and when it’s time to cuddle.”
Annette is happy to help a friend while doing something she enjoys. “I hope I can be an inspiration to others to do something similar, in honor of the care OLP gives at no cost to people in their final days. I like helping raise money for that.”
If you would like to join Annette in supporting hospice care at Our Lady of Peace, visit our website, and be sure to use the tool on the donation page to see if your employer will match your gift!