An appeal has been launched for volunteers to look after therapy dogs helping support stroke patients in their recovery journey.
Charity Dogs For Good is seeking people who can open their homes to a four-legged friend whether it’s on a full or a part-time basis.
Stroke patients at Inverclyde Royal Hospital in Greenock have been rebuilding their lives step by step with the help of the dogs.
The charity visits the site each week in partnership with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, helping patients improve their physiotherapy and cognitive responses through guided sessions with specially training dogs.
Agnes suffered a stroke aged 62 in January.
Since then, she’s been putting her best foot forward on the road to recovery with the help of Marcia, a three-year-old Labrador.
Agnes said: “It’s good working with the dogs – it gives me confidence and helps me a lot on my feet. I’m coming on a lot better.”
‘The dogs brighten up their week’
The dogs visit the ward once a week to help guide patients through a series of obstacle courses and games to help with balance, flexibility and strength.
Specialist physiotherapist Joanne Short says the dogs have been transformative for patients.
“The dogs have been amazing on the ward – they brighten up our patients’ days,” she told STV News.
“The patients get motivated to get out of bed and ready for the dogs. It’s really encouraging.”
She added: “It improves staff wellbeing as well. When the dogs are in you’ve got doctors knocking the door!”
Joanne said the dogs are a good distraction tool to help patients learn to stand and balance on their feet.
“They forget they’re standing there for five minutes working with the dogs and it encourages them to use their upper limbs.
“It’s an automatic response to pet and brush the dog. We find sometimes they do more repetitions of the exercise we do.
“I wish we could record their facial expressions and the sounds in the room – their faces light up.
“Many of our patients are in for quite long, so it’s something for them to look forward to during the week.”
‘She’s made our family complete’
STV NewsWhen Marcia isn’t working, she lives at home with Kirsten Henderson and her family.
A lifelong dog lover, Kirsten first learned about the charity after spotting a poster in the local shop.
“With my daughter getting a wee bit older, it seemed like he perfect situation to help out the charity and also bring a dog into our lives.
“I wanted to have a dog without going through the puppy stage with the mess involved – a fully grown, fully trained dog was the ideal situation for us.”
Kirsten said it’s been wonderful watching the bond develop between Marcia and her daughter Maggie.
Maggie helps with the dog’s weekly health checks, plays with her, and loves teaching her new tricks.
“I take her along to the school to meet Maggie. You can see her excitement and that she’s missed her when she has been at school.
“They get on amazingly well – like best friends.”
STV NewsMaggie, eight, added: “She’s always really funny. She has ‘the zoomies’ after going on walks and it makes me laugh so much.
“She’s really sweet and nice. I like having her as a part of our family.”
Kirsten said Marcia is “a ray of sunshine” at work and at home.
“She’s more interested in the people than the other dogs, which is strange – but it’s also wonderful at the same time,” Kirsten added.
“She’s really clever. That’s probably one of the things that stands out the most.
“She makes us laugh and smile every single day.”
Kirsten urges families to consider getting involved.
“I’d recommend it to anyone; it has made our family complete.”
‘It’s important the dogs have a place to relax’
STV NewsDogs For Good handler Carla Haizelden is tasked with matching dogs with suitable volunteers – and they are open to a variety of commitments.
“Some families, like Marcia’s family, have her full-time – she’s going to live here for the rest of her life, which is lovely,” she said.
“Other people that volunteer might have our dogs for a quick overnight stay, or for weekend or holiday cover. There can be quite good flexibility for people; we’re quite happy to work around people’s schedules where we can.”
Carla and her team are also the first port-of-call to offer advice and support.
“The families do get to know instructors very well because we have such close contact with them. We’re also coming to pick the dog up to go to work; it’s a constant relationship for the lifetime the dog is working for.”
She said that while the dogs love working, it’s important for them to have downtime after a day at the hospital.
“Because they love it so much, it can be quite high energy for them. It can be quite tiring.
“It’s really important that when they are at home, whether with a full-time boarder or part-time, they have space just to relax, be a dog, and be a family companion.
“You want a dog that feels like they’ve been here forever.”
Find out more about volunteering for Dogs For Good.
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
