Sant Joan d’Alacant University Hospital granted a terminally ill patient’s final wish by allowing him to say goodbye to his beloved Yorkshire Terrier in the Intensive Care Unit.
It was the first time a pet had been permitted inside the hospital’s ICU. The carefully arranged visit formed part of its end-of-life care protocol and allowed the patient to spend his final moments with his dog without compromising medical safety.
The elderly man was suffering from an illness that had failed to respond to conventional treatment. Fully conscious, he told the medical team that he wanted to return home to die surrounded by his family and his faithful companion.
However, his condition made the journey impossible. He depended on intravenous life-support treatment that could not be stopped without causing his immediate death.
Determined to respect his wishes as far as possible, ICU staff looked for an alternative.
“He was fully conscious and told us that he wanted to die with his dog,” explained Gloria Pérez, head of the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. “As it was not possible to transfer him home because of his condition, we looked for a way to fulfil that wish within the hospital.”
The medical team worked with the Preventive Medicine Department and hospital management to organise the visit safely.
The hospital has a dedicated end-of-life room separated from the main intensive care area. Designed to offer greater privacy, comfort and dignity, the room enables relatives to remain close to terminally ill patients in a calmer and less clinical environment.
The man’s family brought his Yorkshire Terrier, his long-time companion, to the hospital. The patient was able to stroke his dog and spend several precious final moments with him, surrounded by his relatives and the healthcare professionals caring for him.
Pérez said the experience demonstrated the importance of adapting medical care to the individual needs of each patient, particularly when treatment is no longer focused on recovery but on comfort, dignity and emotional support.
The reunion marked the first occasion on which an animal had entered the ICU at Sant Joan d’Alacant University Hospital. It also highlighted the growing importance of compassionate end-of-life care that considers not only a patient’s medical needs but also their wishes and emotional bonds.
The story was released with the family’s permission, while the patient’s identity and privacy have been protected throughout.
Image courtesy: Family photo
