Keen to deliver more four-legged therapy to those in need in Cardiff, national charity, Pets As Therapy, is seeking 130 fury-friends and their owners to help offer companionship.
Pets As Therapy is keen to find the most caring Cardiff pooches, so along with their owners they can bring comfort and joy to school children, patients in hospitals, care homes and hospices in the region.
Contact with pets, especially dogs and cats, can be life-changing, not only do they help alleviate anxiety and loneliness but can aid recovery and of course offer unconditional love and affection.
To help in the recruitment drive, Pets As Therapy has joined forces with leading pet healthcare company, Bob Martin, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2022, and will be offering products for all the new recruits.
Matthew Robinson, National Volunteer & Events Manager at Pets As Therapy said:
“Our volunteer pets come in all shapes and sizes and can be pedigree or crossbreed. All we ask is that they are friendly, calm, healthy, well-groomed, and love meeting new people! We also need volunteer pets to be at least nine months old, have up-to-date vaccinations, be wormed and protected against fleas.
“There is also no set requirement on how often you need to undertake visits on behalf of Pets As Therapy, but regular visits are greatly appreciated by all those who receive them.”
Chris Socratous, pet expert at Bob Martin added: “The work Pets As Therapy do is really important to its service users, and it’s great to see the charity understand the incredible mental health benefits it can bring to some of the most vulnerable in our society.
“We are delighted to partner with such an innovative charity that does so much good in the community. If any pet parents in the Cardiff area have time to volunteer, we would most definitely encourage them to do so.”
Founded in 1983, Pets As Therapy is a national charity providing temperament-assessed therapy animals via a nationwide network of volunteers, enhancing the health and wellbeing in the community through its visiting service. The charity operates in prisons, schools, hospitals and care homes, and is in need of new cats and dogs to help continue offering this support.
If you think your pet has what it takes and you’d like to volunteer, simply register you details at: https://petsastherapy.org/information/volunteer/volunteer
For more information on Bob Martin as well as tips and advice on managing fleas, ticks and worms, please visit www.bobmartin.co.uk