NORTHAMPTON — Every year, the non-profit community behavioral health agency Clinical and Support Options sees a handful of people defer inpatient mental health treatment for a simple reason: they have nobody to take care of their pets.
CSO refers around 1,400 clients yearly for extended overnight care — everything from detox and hospitalization to an emergency shelter placement. However, there are always some who sacrifice that treatment because they can’t find accommodations for a beloved animal who has become part of their family.
Now, the nonprofit is fundraising to change that.
CSO has set up an online campaign to raise money for an “Emergency Pet Care for CSO Clients” program, which would pay for boarding and limited veterinary care for clients engaging in treatment.
Geoffrey Oldmixon, CSO’s associate vice president of marketing and development, said that the idea is to give clients peace of mind knowing their pets are taken care of while they go in for treatment or other services.
“Each year I would say a handful of cases pop up, and we hear from folks looking for support,” Oldmixon said.
Oldmixon said that CSO is hoping to set up a network of kennels and foster homes for animals. The organization hopes to raise some $25,000 in order to serve around 20 clients.
“Pets are family members,” Oldmixon said. “If someone is going through a behavioral health crisis or perhaps just sorting through various issues, it can be really quite threatening or overwhelming to consider they may have to displace their animal … It’s really not an option for people.”
Any amount of money helps, even if only for a few clients, Oldmixon said.
Dusty Christensen can be reached at dchristensen@gazettenet.com.