Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert Marion Garnett, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair, continues her column
Some people dream they can fly but last Saturday, on Brighton seafront, it was so windy I almost flew up to join the seagulls circling the pier.
But it wasn’t just my body that nearly lifted off but also, the salty walk along the seafront made my spirit soar. Different things make people’s spirits soar and, for some time now, the animal rescue centre, Mayhew have thought their TheraPaws programme is one of them.
In this programme, Mayhew volunteers and their dogs visit older adults in care homes with the intention of promoting the wellbeing of the older person.
In order to find out, scientifically, if residents’ wellbeing improves, Mayhew combined with Middlesex University London to carry out a mixed-method research study. As part of the study, observers watched the interactions between dogs, residents and volunteers when a dog visited a home. Findings showed that the visits to the Home from the dog (formally called Dog-Assisted Therapy) had a transformative impact on those who took part in the TheraPaws programme. Benefits for the resident included helping to reduce loneliness, improve mood and bridging gaps between residents and their family.
The TheraPaws programme is just one strand of Mayhew’s multi-faceted work. Another strand is their work abroad in places such as Afghanistan and Georgia. In order to learn more about their work in Georgia, Mayhew is hosting an informative evening on Thursday November 14 (7pm–9pm) at Kensal Rise Community Library. There will be Georgian wine-tasting, traditional Georgian music and gifts to buy. Proceeds will go towards Mayhew’s street dog population management programme (dogs who, no doubt, could do with their spirits lifting) and training vets in Georgia. Tickets are £15 adult / £5 concessions. Mayhew’s work also, of course, includes rehoming dogs and cats in London and Molly and Misty are two young kittens currently looking for a home. Born outside, they are gentle sisters who need to be homed together. They can be left for no longer than four hours a day as they need some extra supervision and socialising to become well-rounded cats. If you’re interested in homing them, see themayhew.org or call 020 8962 8000.
In order to raise funds for their work, Mayhew is holding a Christmas Fair on Sunday November 24 (12pm-4pm). You will be able to look behind the scenes, meet Santa, buy gifts and listen to live entertainment. You can also meet some of their TheraPaws dogs. The Fair takes place at Mayhew, Trenmar Gardens, Kensal
Green.