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A cancer patient’s cats inspired a push for pets in hospice wards
The proposal would give terminally ill patients a legal right to see their pets, which doctors say can ease loneliness and stress.
- Under proposed legislation in Poland, terminally ill patients would soon have the right to receive visits from their pets in hospices and palliative care wards, establishing a universal legal standard where access currently varies by clinic.
- Tomasz Dzier, director of the Palliative Medicine Clinic at the Medical University of Warsaw, initiated the proposal after witnessing a patient's emotional reunion with his cats, driven by concerns about an "epidemic of loneliness" among terminally ill patients.
- On June 15, 2026, medical student Malgorzata Brzozowska and her therapy dog Kluska visited patient Ewa Lutka-Krawczyk, who hopes to reunite with her own dog, Gaja, during her palliative treatment.
- Lawmaker Katarzyna Piekarska introduced the legislation, now under review by parliament's health committee, arguing that "animals in hospitals are already there anyway" and regulation is necessary to formalize the practice.
- Dzier emphasizes that therapy dog visits benefit hospital staff by alleviating stress, and he remains committed to ensuring "no patient dies alone," particularly supporting those who have outlived friends or lack traditional social connections.
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19 Articles
Associated Press News+17 Reposted by 17 other sources
A cancer patient’s cats inspired a push for pets in hospice wards
In Poland, new legislation could allow pets to visit patients in hospices and palliative care wards. The proposal aims to ease the loneliness of terminally ill patients.
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources19
Leaning Left10Leaning Right3Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution59% Left
Bias Distribution
- 59% of the sources lean Left
59% Left
L 59%
C 23%
R 18%
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