Volunteering with our pets is just paw-fect
To mark National Volunteers’ Week in June, we celebrate our mutt-loved therapy volunteer dogs and their handlers, who attend some of our settings to support our patients’ wellbeing.
Thank you very Mucci
Michele Houghton (pictured), 61, from Edenbridge is handler to Mucci, a cavalier King Charles spaniel, who works at our day centre at Edenbridge Memorial Health Centre.
Michele found Mucci at a tricky time in her life. Burnt out from a demanding career in high-end catering, she suffered a breakdown in 2012.
A few years later, her husband Derek decided she needed some companionship – and that’s when eight-week-old Mucci bounded into their lives.
"We knew she was different," Michele smiled. "It felt like she could read my mind. She gave me this unbelievable feeling of love. Sometimes when I was feeling low her big eyes would bore into my soul. I think she learned from looking after me."
In 2017, Michele saw an advert for the charity Pets as Therapy and quickly signed up for the training. She was thrilled when Mucci passed and started work at the former Edenbridge community hospital and more recently Edenbridge Memorial Health Centre – both close to home. Mucci – named after Michele’s Italian mother – has transformed lives with her gentle loving nature.
"She’s small, so if you want a cuddle she has to jump on to your lap, but she loves trotting around. The patients adore her," said Michele. "One poor man in his 50s woke up one morning completely paralysed from the waist down," Michele recalled.
"Mucci would race into his room jump up to his legs and nestle right next to them. He was instantly calm, happy and content. It was as if she knew what had happened to him."
With her soft fur and affectionate personality, Mucci’s presence is a comfort to many elderly patients. Peg Richards, 83, has loved getting to know Mucci as she comes to terms with losing her daughter to cancer. She said: "Coming here is a comfort for me. Mucci sits on my lap and makes me feel calm."
Christina Hill (pictured), 82, visits the centre to cope with sleep problems. She said: "Mucci just loves everybody and makes us all feel happy." And it’s not just patients who benefit from Mucci’s visits. NHS colleagues eagerly listen for the sound of the tiny bell on her collar, signalling her arrival at the day centre.
"They all fuss over her – it’s a lovely little break from their busy working day even if just for a momentary cuddle," Michele said. "After all the socialising she’s completely exhausted – she goes straight to bed, content."
For Michele, volunteering with Mucci has been a truly rewarding experience. She said: "It’s a privilege to share her love and kindness with people who need it most."
Suki's superpowers
Suki, a Welsh Terrier, is a pet therapy dog at Tonbridge Cottage Hospital with her handler, Fiona Arnold (pictured with Suki).
It was just a few months into her role as a pet therapy dog when handler Fiona, 49, from Hoo in Medway, witnessed something that proved Suki was truly one-of-a-kind. "Suki suddenly pulled me into the bay where an elderly lady lay curled up in the foetal position," Fiona recalled. "She was completely alone and Suki leapt on to the bed, curling up tightly next to her fragile frame. She wouldn’t budge. When the matron arrived, she told me the lady had just hours to live and no family. It gave me goosebumps. She gave her comfort in those final moments."
For the past four years, Suki and Fiona have been a familiar presence at Tonbridge Cottage Hospital, bringing joy to patients – and NHS colleagues – in the day room. "Suki always senses when someone is feeling low or in pain," Fiona explained.
"She’s intuitive, often nuzzling the exact spot that’s hurting. As a puppy, she was quite poorly herself and still takes medication, so it’s as if she understands what others are going through.
"People relax around her. She’s a natural ice-breaker, helping us all laugh and talk. Dogs like Suki spark treasured memories, a childhood pet or a dog someone once had for their children. Those memories bring comfort – it’s a huge part of recovery."
Suki has also been Fiona’s lifeline. On the very same afternoon that Suki passed her therapy dog assessment, Fiona was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. "It was symptomless, aside from a raised lymph node," she said. "But when I went under the scanner, my right side lit up. Six scans later, I was sitting in a room with a specialist, being handed leaflets about a double mastectomy."
Shocked and overwhelmed, Fiona returned home and sat on the sofa, staring at her results on a letter, not knowing where to turn. "And then in came Suki right from the bottom of our garden," she said. "She leapt into the air landed on me and physically licked away my tears. That moment made me realise just how much comfort therapy dogs bring – not just to patients but to everyone lucky enough to have them by their side."
Fiona has since undergone breast surgery, a hysterectomy and is now cancer free. She remains upbeat and positive – something she credits Suki for. "Suki has an incredible ability to lift anyone out of whatever they are going through," she said. "That’s what makes her so special."
Giving a little of your time makes a huge difference. Find out about our range of volunteering opportunities.
