Volunteer Claire Taylor explains how her therapy dogs are making a difference for young patients receiving mental health care
Minty, Bobby and Mitzy are small dogs with a huge sense of fun who love meeting young patients in hospital.
Retired accountant Claire Taylor has been taking her Coton de Tuleár dogs to the St Aubyn Centre in Colchester for several years. The centre provides inpatient care for teenagers experiencing mental health difficulties and is run by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT).
Claire started visiting with Maddy, who has sadly died, and now Minty, Mitzy and Bobby.
She said: “It’s great fun, and the dogs love it. The dogs have got a special quality, it’s just lovely.”
If a child is upset, the dogs will go over to them to cheer them up. They bring comfort to those who are missing their pets at home and are a good conversation starter.
Claire, who is treasurer of the Coton de Tuleár Club of the United Kingdom, said: “They love coming here, they get lots of attention and lots of treats.
“We also get to meet such lovely kids – they’re smashing.
“When the youngsters are teaching the dogs to do tricks or making them do tricks they get a great sense of achievement. That can be really special.”
Minty, Bobby and Mitzy love meeting new people and if a young person is nervous about dogs, Claire will gently introduce them over a period of time until they are comfortable.
She said: “Therapy dogs need to be calm but fun. There’s nothing better than stroking a dog. It just brings your blood pressure down and it stops all the anxiety.”
They are just three of the therapy animals at the St Aubyn Centre. There is also a giant African land snail Herbert, who lives at the centre’s Therapeutic Education Department, and therapy dog Nellie, who belongs to headteacher Jim English.
The school also works closely with Dedham Therapy Farm, where young people can help to look after their animals, including alpacas, sheep, chickens and donkeys.
The school is rated Outstanding by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission recently upgraded its rating for child and adolescent mental health wards at the St Aubyn Centre and the Poplar Unit in Rochford to good.
