Dying woman given chance to see beloved horse and dogs for the final time

A terminally ill woman was granted a final wish to say goodbye to her horse and two dogs from her hospice bed in Cheshire.Jan Holman had spent four weeks at the Hospice of the Good Shephard and had been desperately missing her two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Monty and Rowley along with Bob, a piebald Cob.Staff decided to surprise her by putting her furry friends on the list for a heartfelt reunion.

Even though Jan, 68, wasn’t able to get out of bed, she was so excited to have the chance to see Bob one more time.

The nurses wheeled her bed to the patio doors and the team from Thornleigh Park Farm Stables, where Bob is in livery, walked him into the hospice courtyard for a very emotional reunion between horse and owner.Bob put his head through the doors and nuzzled Jan’s neck and lap and thoroughly enjoyed his treats of carrots, bananas and apples. Jan’s face lit up as soon as she saw Bob.

She said: “I just can’t believe what the staff here at the hospice have done for me.

"Until a few weeks ago I was still riding Bob every day and he is such an important part of my life, and I have missed him so much."I just didn’t expect that they would ever be able to give me the chance to see Bob one more time.”Jan’s husband Dennis, who has been married to Jan for 46 years, said: “It was just such a relief once Jan was moved from the hospital to the hospice in Chester and we were able to have named visitors who could come and see Jan regularly

"However, we never imagined that we would be able to include our dogs Monty and Rowley and Jan’s horse Bob on the visiting list.”