Hospital needs more therapy dogs to support patients’ wellbeing

Mid Cheshire Hospitals is urging dog owners to sign up for a scheme that allows therapy pets to visit its patients.

The Trust wants to encourage more people to become a volunteer and bring their amazing animals to Leighton Hospital in Crewe and Elmhurst Intermediate Care Centre in Winsford.

Therapy pets visit wards to support patients’ wellbeing and mental health, offering them the chance to stroke the dogs and chat to their owners. 

Many patients who are pet owners themselves also find the service comforting if, during a hospital stay, they are missing the companionship of their own animals at home.

Trust volunteer Jane Wilson brings her six-year-old English setter dog Lucan into Leighton Hospital once a week to meet patients on Ward 27 and the Frailty Unit.

Jane said:

“Lucan is a hit with the patients and the staff. Everybody wants to stop, have a fuss, and they all say what a difference it makes to them.

“I would encourage others to get their dogs registered. It’s an extremely rewarding experience and you don’t realise how much of a difference you can make by just bringing your dog in for a couple of hours a week.”

All volunteers who bring their dogs to the hospital must first be registered with the charity Pets As Therapy.

The animals do not need any special training. They should be friendly and calm, healthy and well-groomed, love being fussed over, and have up-to-date vaccinations.

As part of the registration process, each dog also undergoes a temperament assessment to ensure their behaviour is suitable to visit the hospital.

If you have a dog that is not currently registered with Pets As Therapy and you would like to volunteer with them at Mid Cheshire Hospitals, please visit the charity’s website for further details on how to sign up at: 

https://petsastherapy.org/

Once your dog is registered with Pets As Therapy, please contact the Mid Cheshire Hospitals Voluntary Services team at: 

volunteer@mcht.nhs.uk 

...to sign up as a Trust volunteer.

There is a simple application and recruitment process to complete, including a DBS check which is free for volunteers, and the Trust provides induction training.

Volunteers and their pets only need to give a couple of hours of their time each week – and the scheme’s organisers say they can make a huge difference for the hospitals’ patients.

Jo Newbrook, Voluntary Services Manager at Mid Cheshire Hospitals, said:

“We have therapy dogs visiting a number of our wards, but we’d really love to expand on this and I’d encourage anyone who is considering it to find out more.

“The patients absolutely love meeting our volunteers’ pets, it’s a lovely experience. They get to chat to the volunteers, stroke a friendly dog, and generally enjoy the companionship of an animal during their stay. It can be a real boost for their wellbeing and mental health.

“Patients will often mention to us how they miss their own animals while they’re staying in hospital, so being able to interact with the therapy dogs really does mean a lot to them.”

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will promote its drive to recruit more therapy dogs during International Dog Day, which takes place on Monday, 26 August. Follow the Trust’s ‘MidCheshireNHS’ social media channels for more photos, videos, and information about its amazing Pets As Therapy recruits.   

More information about the Pets As Therapy registration process and requirements is available at: 

https://petsastherapy.org/

For more information about volunteering at Mid Cheshire Hospitals, please visit: 

https://www.mcht.nhs.uk/volunteer 

or contact: 

volunteer@mcht.nhs.uk

Lucan and Jane - English setter therapy dog Lucan with owner and Trust volunteer Jane Wilson.