Cariad Pet Therapy, a charity in Wales, has won this year’s Wellbeing in Wales award, reports ITV. They send “magic” therapy dogs into children’s hospices, among other locations, and staff have lauded the “absolutely fantastic” impact on the children there.
Idris is one of the dogs who, alongside his dog mom Louise, often visits Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice, which supports children with life-shortening conditions. “The impact is just absolutely fantastic,” said Sarah Lee, play specialist at Cariad Pet Therapy. “The kids light up, they just can’t wait to see them. It’s like magic to watch, it’s really beautiful”.
Helping People Since 2018
82 therapy dogs in total work with Cariad Pet Therapy. The not-for-profit organization was established in 2018, and is based in Haverfordwest, in the south west of Wales. The dogs they work with help in various healthcare settings, workplaces, and places of education across the country.
As a result, the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) has recognized the charity with its Wellbeing in Wales award. It forms part of the Welsh Charities Week.
Of course, just a couple of years after the charity set up, the pandemic hit. While the regular visits couldn’t carry on as normal for a while, they turned to robot pets instead.
Anna Tippett, whose grandmother Barbara Gates had dementia, spoke about how the robot pets helped her.
“Just seeing her smile in that moment brought back who she was, the Nana that we remembered and loved, and just that glimmer of enjoyment of that moment is really important”, she said.
What Is Pet Therapy?
Cariad Pet Therapy describe pet therapy as being “a partnership between a consenting therapy dog and its compassionate owner to improve the wellness of themselves and others through human-animal engagements”.
With their 4PAWApproach, they consider the dog, the volunteer, the people being visited, and the environment in which the visit takes place. Furthermore, they even offer home visits with their Dogs on your Doorstep program.
