Meet one of four furry friends changing the lives of patients at Watford Hospital
The Hertfordshire Trust is calling on owners with friendly and gentle dogs to join their therapy paw patrol
Last updated 20th Feb 2025
A hospital Trust in Hertfordshire is urging dog owners to enrol their pet in a four-legged therapy scheme, improving patient and staff wellbeing.
Led by Pets as Therapy, the dogs go through a vetting process to ensure they are friendly, gentle and calm enough, while ensuring their vaccines are up to date.
Once a dog qualifies, their owner volunteers theirs and their pet's time to offer therapy in a setting organised by the charity.
At the West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Jake (a French Bulldog), Chas (a Newfoundland dog), Ralph (a Dachshund) and Pasha (a Cockapoo) have been doing the rounds of Watford Hospital wards.
A Physiotherapist on one of the wards, Nick, said: "We don't get enough of them to be honest, but whenever they do come up, we enjoy having them here.
"We have patients that can be here anywhere from a few days up until multiple weeks depending on their individual therapy needs, so in my experience, it's never been turned away and everyone seems to be very happy."
The dogs have successfully led to a reduction in stress levels in what can sometimes be a scary and fast paced environment, while breaking up the day for patients, their visitors and medical staff.
Patient Susan said: "You're up most mornings at 5. You're not going to bed till 10 at night, so it's a long old day. It's. And quite few people don't have visitors, and it makes it a very, very long day for them."
Pasha was the duty therapy dog visiting Nick and Susan.
She is a 4-year-old brown Cockapoo, owned by Paul, who has been volunteering at the hospital for years, more recently with Pasha.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, he said: "I wanted to say connection to the hospital in a way that I enjoyed and this is really a wonderful way to to stay connected.
"Some people who are sort of overcome with happiness and tears come down, which wasn't something that I expected and when it happens I'm taken aback by how much the interaction has meant to an individual."
To keep Pasha focused on each individual she visits, Paul gives her a little incentive.
"When she does a shift she doesn't get breakfast or lunch. She has breakfast or lunch as we go around the ward because the way to get people to interact with her is to get get them to feed her, and the people like feeding her so mutual interests there", he added.
While the four dogs currently taking part in the hospital's dog therapy scheme take it in turns, there is a need for more volunteers to take on the role.
You can find out more on this webpage, or you can fill out a document to volunteer directly on this link.