Hauraki-Coromandel Area Co-ordinator, Jan Curran, is a keen member of Outreach Therapy Pets (OTP), a programme run by St John involving volunteers
and their pets visiting rest homes, hospitals and other health services.
Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to promote emotional wellbeing in hospitals and rest homes. It's also used as an added therapy for children
suffering from a variety of illnesses. Contact with gentle animals provides comfort and helps people to be happier.
We asked Jan to tell us about her experiences. She writes:
I got involved with this group about 18 months ago when I went into town for our monthly Market Day and parked next to the St. John Ambulance which was there to raise funds and recruit volunteers. A lady who was with St John was taken by my greyhound Beyonce, who was hanging out the window looking for attention, and after asking some questions about greyhounds asked me if I would be interested in OTP .
Photo Courtesy of Stuart Whitaker
I filled out a form on me and the hound, was police checked through my licence, then went to a gathering of people and dogs where we were assessed and accepted. We are now able to go to IHC Centers for people with intellectual disabilities and schools. We go where we are invited as long as the management is happy with the arrangement. All dogs must be up to date with vaccinations, fleas and worms and on visits must be clean, quiet and well mannered. Our girls enjoy these outings and now lead the way,
putting up with hugs all round.
My partner Tom joined us a year ago with our second hound Rihanna and also Norma McIntyre with her hound Zena came for a short while until she moved to Wanganui. Our group have been visiting Waihi Hospital and a rest home every month and now have been asked to go to Athenree Rest Home. Tom and I have been asked to go the local IHC and the Schools, but we have enough now, as we also volunteer and foster for the SPCA.
Further information regarding OTP which is run by St. John and SPCA can be found on the St John website.
http://www.stjohn.org.nz/What-we-do/Community-programmes/Partnered-progr...
s/Outreach-Therapy-Pets/