Page 26 - Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens - March '25

Page 26, Lifestyles in Palm Beach Gardens
The Pet Cottage Post

The Birth Of The Pet Cottage: Guardians. Many of the pets in our care are older and need
calm, loving homes. Many seniors, facing loneliness, long for
A Tribute To Joan McCabe companionship. The greatest challenge to welcoming a senior
pet into one’s home is often the cost of care, particularly
The Pet Cottage is more than just a veterinary expenses. The Pet Cottage removes that burden by
sanctuary for pets—it is a testament paying all veterinary expenses allowing these perfect matches
to the love and devotion of one to be made.
remarkable woman, Joan McCabe. The Pet Cottage is more than just a place—it is a promise.
Joan was a beautiful soul, full of It is a tribute to Joan McCabe and to all those who love their
warmth and kindness, whose love pets like family. None of this would be possible without the
for her pets was immeasurable. She generous support of our donors and community. You are the
was a client of mine when I ran a small superheroes who make this mission a reality.
personal training business for women, and over time, she There are many ways to support our work, from joining To learn more about The Pet Cottage, visit our website at
became a cherished friend. Joan shared her life with three our Happy Tails monthly donation program to making one- thepetcottage.org, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, and
senior cats—Shadow, Smokey, and Jeremy—who were her time contributions. Every donation helps us fulfill our forever check out our YouTube channel at The Pet Cottage Official.
family and her greatest joy. promise to these beloved pets and provide pet companionship To visit, please call to make an appointment at (561) 818-
When Joan was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, her first to senior individuals, matching pets who have lost their 5025.
concern was not for herself, but for her beloved companions. humans with seniors who long for a loving companion. Thank you for being part of our pack!
What would happen to them
when she was gone? She
searched for solutions, but
none existed. Determined
to ease her heart, I made a
promise: I would care for her
cats as she had, ensuring they
were safe and loved.
Shadow, at an astonishing
21 years old, passed before
Joan. When the time came, Joan McCabe
Smokey and Jeremy, then 17,
came to live with me. They thrived in my care, living to be
20. But Joan’s story revealed a much larger truth—she was
not the only one in this predicament. Many pet owners, facing
illness or life-altering events, had no plan for their beloved
animals. I witnessed this firsthand through my relationship
with hospice during Joan’s
illness. The need was clear,
and when Joan passed on
March 11, 2012, I, Wendy
Derhak, honored her legacy
by founding The Pet Cottage.
What started with Joan’s
three senior cats quickly grew.
The next animals in need
were three dachshunds—
Charlie Brown, Ivy, and
Peanut—whose owner had Arya
passed away. The demand
for a safe, loving place
for pets in these situations
continued to grow. In April
2015, The Pet Cottage
officially became a nonprofit,
dedicated to providing
lifelong guardianship for
pets who lost their humans
due to death, disability, or
deployment.
From those first
rescues, The Pet Cottage
has flourished. Today, we
provide care for over 51 Elsa
dogs and eight cats. While
our initial focus was on pets whose owners had passed, we
quickly expanded to include those affected by disabilities
such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. We also recognized the
needs of military members, ensuring their pets had a safe
place when deployment or relocation made it impossible to
keep them.
One of the most beautiful aspects of this journey has been
the realization that senior people make extraordinary Forever