Pets As Therapy (PAT) is attending Crufts 2023 at the NEC Birmingham from 9-12 March to launch a volunteer recruitment drive to meet soaring demand for a therapeutic pet visit.
Around 4,000 pet owners already volunteer with their friendly, temperament-assessed dogs. However, as awareness of the benefits of PAT visits grows, another 4,300 establishments are on the waiting list including 1,100 in the last 6 months and Pets As Therapy is eager to recruit more PAT Teams to help meet demand.
PAT Volunteers are dedicated pet owners who help others in their local community. Along with their dog (or cat), PAT Teams visit all types of settings including residential care homes, hospitals, hospices, prisons and both special needs and mainstream schools.
Clare Davis, Pets As Therapy CEO, is also a volunteer with her two English Pointers, Jamie and Morgan. “It is a huge privilege to be part of an organisation which makes such a difference to the lives of people and pets. We know we can’t fix the world, but each and every day our volunteers are making a difference to people’s lives. From enabling someone lost in the fog of dementia to speak, to time out for a nurse who needs a few moments of calm on a busy shift, our PAT teams are there for them. We can also be a catalyst and help someone who’s reluctant to open up & share what’s wrong. Our impact is immediate, it’s in the here and now.”
On Saturday 11 March at 11.30am, actress Josette Simon OBE will be sharing her experiences as a PAT Volunteer on the PAT stand. She currently visits a children’s hospice in London with her PAT Dog, Milo.
Actress Josette Simon OBE and her Havanese, Milo, are a visiting PAT Team. “Being a PAT volunteer is wonderful. Witnessing the benefit and smiles brought to people who experience the companionship and enrichment of spending time with Milo is a two-way exchange and enhances the health, wellbeing and lives of the people we visit. It is such a pleasure to experience that joy and comfort they get by having time with Milo. I can’t recommend being a PAT volunteer highly enough.”
On Fri 10 March at 2.30pm, Pets As Therapy will be celebrating their 40th anniversary in traditional style with cake from Lola’s Cupcakes and some delicious Woofins from The Barking Bakery for the four-legged companions.
Dog owners can sign up to become a PAT Volunteer, and anyone can register to host a fundraising PATnic or make a donation by visiting: https://petsastherapy.org/.
Therapeutic visits by PAT Teams offer a host of benefits:
- Therapeutic pet visits have proven to make a significant, long-term difference to the lives of people with a myriad of, often hard to define, problems.
- PAT visits enhance lives in our communities by helping to tackle loneliness and stress, supporting people in residential care settings who may feel isolated and confused.
- PAT visits help to improve the lives of people suffering from physical, psychological and social health conditions such as autism, dementia and stroke by including animal assisted interventions as part of a holistic approach to treatment.
- PAT supports children and young people in schools by encouraging confidence and concentration in the classroom as well as improving literacy with the Read2Dogs scheme.
