Volunteer Profile – Nigel, Pets As Therapy
How/why did I become a volunteer? -
I was walking my dog, Breffni, past the hospital one sunny day and we walked past two police officers who were sitting on the grass, with a sullen teenage girl who had presumably done something wrong. My dog walked up to the girl and she started to stroke him and began to smile. One of the police officers said to me that I should register the dog as a Therapy Dog as it was the first time he had seen this girl smile. I thought about it for a few days, made some enquiries, and found that as well as having the dog registered as a Therapy Dog, I would have to register as a volunteer. Have been volunteering now for over three years.
Do you feel that what you do for us is rewarding?
Definitely. The feedback we get from our visits is always positive and both staff and patients enjoy meeting Breffni. The only drawback (with tongue in cheek) is always having to explain his history as a rescue dog! We find that both patients and staff love to share details of their own dogs with us and often show us photos of their pets. A lot of patients miss their own dogs an awful lot and meeting Breffni seems to help them.
Would you recommend it to any other volunteers?
I certainly would - there is a real sense of camaraderie between the volunteers, all of whom are very friendly. Knowing that you have helped somebody really makes you feel better about yourself.
When not volunteering how else do you spend your time?
We got Breffni as a pet when I retired, and apart from giving him a home, it was to stop me from sitting on the couch all day, eating crisps and watching television.... We try to walk at least three miles a day, spread over three to four walks depending on the weather. Breffni also loves it when you and he both play with his ever-increasing collection of dog toys! Apart from that I read a lot, and my main hobby is entering competitions.
Anything else you would like to share or add?
Only that if you are undecided about being a volunteer, don't be afraid to talk to Sandra or a present volunteer about what you could do. You really can make more of a difference than you could imagine.
