‘Dogs have such an incredible healing power’
When Aneka Johnson became ill, it was her French bulldog, Chubbs, that got her through – and now the pair provide the same comfort to others.
I’ve always loved dogs, but I never had pets as a child. I remember envying my friend who had an Irish setter. I knew that I’d get a dog one day, but didn’t know how much meaning it would bring to my life. As an adult, I ended up in event management. It was a fast-paced job with lots of late nights. I was also constantly going back and forth between London, where I lived, and New York, so there was no chance I’d be able to get a puppy.
I’d been wearing myself out for a long time when, in 2016, I started getting ill. It became a struggle to get out of bed, and I kept collapsing. I thought it was exhaustion, but it turned out to be far worse. In hospital, I had to have an emergency blood transfusion. Doctors went on to do scans and found I had uterine fibroids. I had to undergo major surgery and couldn’t work for months.
At the same time, I struggled with my mental health, so my partner, knowing how happy dogs made me, decided to surprise me with a French bulldog puppy. Coming home to find him in my living room one day was sheer joy.
Chubbs, as I decided to call him, gave me strength to keep going. Even as a puppy he was in tune with my feelings; when I was in pain, he’d rest his head on my stomach or lick my hand. Walking, feeding and cuddling him were simple things, but they gave me purpose.
As I got better, I knew I couldn’t go back to my old life. Chubbs gave me the idea for what I’d do next. Because he’d been integral to my recovery, I started researching how good dogs are for our wellbeing. I realised that if Chubbs could help me, he could help others, too.
In 2018, I set up The Cuddle Club, taking dogs into offices to de-stress staff. At first, it was just me, Chubbs and my neighbour’s dog, Rufus, a cockapoo, going to offices of friends and family. But as people started telling others and sharing photos on social media, the demand grew. Before long, I had more requests than I could cope with. I put out an application for more dogs and handlers to get involved. Gradually, my team grew to 40 dogs. While they come in all shapes and sizes, all of the dogs are affectionate and trained to provide the best comfort service there is.
We usually take four to six dogs into an office. There’s one dog to every two people, so there’s enough cuddle time for everyone. During sessions, everyone gets a chance to stroke and play with the dogs, watch them do tricks and hear about the mental health benefits of canine company. Research shows being around a dog can lower the heart rate and blood pressure, and the effect our sessions have on people is visible; they go from looking stressed to relaxed.
During lockdown, The Cuddle Club went virtual, with customers booking video calls with dogs. It was lovely to help those who had been feeling isolated due to shielding or living alone.
Now offices are reopening, I’ve had lots of enquiries for sessions again. Employers want staff to return to work on a positive note and there’s no better way to keep spirits up than time spent with dogs.
thecuddleclubuk.com
It was lovely to help those who had been feeling isolated