Paws for Support

Paws for Support has been nominated for the Diversity and Inclusion award

FOR the past five years, dogs from local charity Paws for Support have helped people’s days go from ‘ruff’ to ‘paw-some’. 

With the charity now has more than 65 trained dogs on its roster offering school and home visits, as well as attending schemes such as ‘Read to Dogs’.

It help in improving mental health and wellbeing for people has been recognised with a nomination for Diversity and Inclusion.

Roz Johns put the team forward after volunteer Susan Robilliard and her Cavapoochon Tilly made weekly visits to her mother Ruby for over a year, when she was fighting several bouts of illness before she died.

‘After lockdown, because Mum had slowed down, she had stopped going to one of her groups but was getting lonely,’ Roz said.

‘Sara [Sarre, chairwoman of Paws for Support] arranged for Susan and her dog Tilly to come and visit every week on a Thursday.’

Tilly’s visits continued even when Ruby was admitted to hospital and to a nursing home, with Susan popping in for a cup of tea and a chat each week.

‘They were able to really form a relationship,’ Roz added.

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