Therapy dogs bring joy to patients at Wrexham hospice

Patients and staff at a Wrexham hospice were recently visited by some very special visitors.

Therapy dogs Syve, Finn, Bailey and George were given a warm welcome at Nightingale House by patients receiving support through the hospice’s wellbeing programme.

Debra Foden, who volunteers with Pets as Therapy, brought along four-year-old Bernese Mountain dog Bailey to enjoy a fun afternoon with wellbeing patients at the hospice.

“Bailey always makes people smile and wherever I take her people will always make a fuss of her,” said Debra Foden.

“She is a big dog but she is a gentle giant and she loves the fuss and attention.

“You see people’s faces light when they see her and it’s lovely to see.”

Therapy dogs of all breeds and sizes and their volunteer owners have visited patients at the hospice for many years, with the visits always bringing joy.

Carolyn James, Nightingale House Hospice Wellbeing Lead, said: “We love welcoming therapy dogs to the hospice.

“They bring a huge amount of warmth and comfort to everyone here and patients love finding out about them and how they are trained.

“They make everyone’s day a little brighter and it’s lovely to see the smiles on patients’ faces and hearing them share stories about their own pets.”