Any pet parent will tell you pets have a way of imprinting their shape on your heart. We know that they’re not in our lives forever – and yet we can’t imagine our future without them.

When it’s time for their chapter to close, the hope of every pet owner is a peaceful end full of love and care.

Sasha was Ben’s entire world. The English Staffy had been his loyal companion for 12 years, and despite their long friendship, she was still his loving puppy.

“She was my girl, my shadow, my rock,” Ben says.

The two had enjoyed many adventures together over the years, and through every high and low, Sasha stayed by Ben’s side.

“She was loyal beyond words and supported me in ways no one else could.”

The bond between pet and guardian is unique, and often hard for outsiders to truly understand. For Ben, Sasha was the one soul who would never give up on him, and he returned that love in kind.

When Ben lost his job at the start of the year, he found himself in major financial hardship.

“I applied every day for any job I could find, but no luck,” he says. “The one saving grace of that period was that I had more time to spend with Sasha.”

Soon after, however, Sasha’s behaviour began to change. As he noticed subtle signs grow more overt, Ben felt his situation go from bad to worse.

“Her breathing changed, she started drinking constantly,” he recalls. “She seemed to be slowing down. The worst part was that I knew something was wrong, but I couldn’t afford a vet.”

Desperate, Ben began calling clinics for advice. “No one could really help without seeing her,” he says. “I felt like I was failing her, and I couldn’t do a thing.”

At this low point, Ben discovered PetSafetyNet. Created by PetSure along with VetPartners, VetChat and supported by the Animal Referral and Emergency Centre (AREC), PetSafetyNet is a free 24-hour vet telehealth service designed to provide more equitable access to veterinary care for vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians.

Currently available in NSW (Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock, Maitland, Port Stephens, Central Coast, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Kempsey) and across Tasmania, PetSafetyNet is complemented with subsidised urgent in-clinic care in many cases, which can make all the difference in a critical situation.

Ben was put in touch with an experienced Australian vet who directed him to the team at New Lambton Veterinary Clinic.

“They were amazing,” says Ben, who was still in the dark about Sasha’s condition. The bad news wasn’t a complete surprise: New Lambton staff suspected Cushing’s disease, an excess of cortisol that typically affects older dogs. But obtaining a confirmed diagnosis was expensive, as was the prospect of ongoing management of Cushing’s, which is a life-long condition.

The good news was comforting: “The vet explained Sasha was eating fine, she had energy and she wasn’t in pain,” he says.

“And she was happy. She was still wagging that tail and sleeping beside me. Ultimately, I knew I’d have to say goodbye before long, but I had no idea when that would be.”

Pet carers who’ve been through the experience know the end can arrive with shocking speed. One week, Sasha’s condition began to worsen considerably.

“She wouldn’t eat, she started stumbling. She was confused and sad. She started peeing inside and strange cuts started appearing on her back,” says Ben, who felt powerless to help his beloved pet.

“I was watching her suffer and I couldn’t bear it.”

Ben began calling friends and asking for financial help. “It was a question I’d never asked any of them before,” he says. “It was embarrassing, but I was out of options.”

Not entirely, as it turned out. Ben was sure his PetSafetyNet coverage had ended with the vet visit, but upon logging in, he found he was able to extend.

“It was nearly 3am, but I didn’t care,” he says. “I hit the video call button, praying for an answer.”

Within 10 minutes, Ben had received a callback from a vet who quickly organised a consultation at the Animal Referral and Emergency Centre (AREC) in Broadmeadow.

“That moment gave me hope in one of the darkest nights of my life.”

The next morning at AREC, Ben swallowed his pride. “I told them I had nothing, whatever PetSafetyNet could provide was all I had,” he says. “They were kind and took Sasha in to run tests. I kissed her on the head and told her I’d be waiting.”

This diagnosis confirmed Ben’s worst fears. “On top of the Cushing’s, she had pancreatitis, diabetes, anaemia and a severe infection. It hit like a punch to the chest,” he says.

“Given her age, the risks of things getting worse were high.”

Ben realised the kindest thing to do would be to let Sasha go. He says it’s the hardest decision he’s ever had to make.

“I broke. I completely broke,” he says. “I told her she was a good girl, that I’ll always love her and that I hoped she’d forgive me. And then she was gone.”

But Ben says it’s thanks to PetSafetyNet that Sasha wasn’t alone at the end.

“She didn’t suffer in pain and confusion. She was safe, warm and loved. I had the chance to say goodbye properly, which means everything to me. It was a way for me to be the kind of owner she deserved, right to the end.”

Ultimately, PetSafetyNet helped cover the cost of Sasha’s treatment, including telehealth and in-clinic consults as well as euthanasia. So far, the program has provided assistance worth more than one million dollars to over 2,000 pets. According to Ben, the program’s work is priceless.

“From the bottom of my broken heart, thank you. Please keep doing what you’re doing. It matters more than you know.”