Last year Billy the terrier was saved by the kindness of strangers. Now he is repaying the debt by bringing joy to the desperately ill
By Philippa Tomson
Last updated at 8:32 AM on 28th December 2011
Billy Boy in his uniform , all set for his first day 'at work'
Fastening his smart little jacket — slightly baggy at the sides but comfortable — I stand back and beam at Billy with pride. This is his first day at ‘work’ and I’m willing him to do well. As he walks into the room, he is greeted with cries of delight. There are so many smiling faces ready to greet him, he doesn’t know who to approach first. This new boy obviously is a big hit.
Billy, my two-year-old Tibetan Terrier, is on his first official day of duty at St Cuthbert’s Hospice in Durham as a Pets As Therapy dog. He is there to provide people with terminal or life-limiting illnesses, such as multiple sclerosis, cancer and motor neurone disease with a much deserved and longed-for cuddle.
He is one of more than 5,000 dogs, and a select few cats, working throughout the UK, visiting hospices, hospitals, care homes and special-needs units, providing love and comfort to more than 150,000 desperately ill people, many of whom are missing dearly loved pets back home.
Yet according to Pets As Therapy founder and chief executive Maureen Hennis, these visits provide more than a bit of light relief and can actually help improve the health of patients.
‘The act of stroking a dog reduces both blood pressure and stress levels and brings a little bit of comfort and normality to a life which might be spent mainly in a hospital or hospice,’ she explains.
Maureen launched the charity along with a group of friends in 1983 after becoming convinced of the therapeutic benefits that stroking a pet could bring to patients.
And it’s a role that my dog Billy, I am proud to observe, is embracing with relish. He scampers over to the chair of retired civil servant Beryl Colquhoun, 76.
‘Aren’t you gorgeous!’ she cries. ‘The best looking lad in here, I can tell you.’
Beryl is here to give her husband, Stan, a break from being her full-time carer. Having lost her own dog, Bracken, three years ago, she’s delighted to have a pooch back in her life, albeit briefly.
And she’s not the only one: ‘Didn’t you see the change in people’s faces when he came in? They lit up,’ she remarks, looking about the room. ‘It relaxes you, it takes you out of yourself and it’s something a bit different, something wonderful.’
Soon I feel like we are on a royal visit: so many people are eager to meet Billy, it’s hard to ration out our time. Next in line is Joan Gallent, 72. Like everyone else here, it’s obviously a relief for her to have something else on which to focus and talk about other than illness. ‘I’m a retired nurse so I already know dogs love contact with people,’ she says.
Miracle: Billy after his accident. He escaped from the garden and ran across a dual carriageway, where he was hit by a car with such force that its number plate split
‘He gives you those lovely looks and my heart melts. He makes me feel wanted.’
Such is Billy’s impact that soon members of staff from other departments are popping their heads round the door to see what’s going on. ‘They’ll be talking about this for the rest of the week,’ says day hospice lead nurse Michelle Paris. Many patients are unable to keep a dog themselves, she explains, and miss the interaction.
So how did Billy land this role? As is often the case, it’s all down to me, his proud and pushy parent. I decided to get him approved as a Pets As Therapy dog quite simply because last year, on Christmas Eve, I nearly lost him.
As I’ve already described in this paper earlier in the year, Billy had escaped from the garden of our home and run across a dual carriageway, where he hit a car with such force that the driver’s registration plate snapped in half.
Having suffered two leg fractures, a broken tail, a nasty gash on his forehead and, most worryingly, a near-collapsed lung, no one knew if he would make it. I spent Christmas Eve bolt upright on the sofa dreading the ‘I’m terribly sorry’ phone call from the emergency vet. But that call never came.
In what I can only describe as a Christmas miracle, Billy survived the night and the night after that. We brought him home in a very sorry state on Boxing Day and he remained on full bed rest for six weeks while his fractures healed.
Many dogs fail to make the grade, however good-natured they may be, due to their boisterous behaviour and hyperactive tendencies
Come the spring, he was almost back to his normal self. Soon, his excitement returned whenever I came home and he’d jump up and down like a pogo-stick.
His daily play fights with his big brother, my other Tibetan Terrier, named BG, began again as did his ability to leap eagerly into the car boot for his walks. His tail, which I feared might have to be docked, was now proudly carried high on his back again.
Billy’s amazing recovery and our unbridled relief got me thinking. The fact that he was still here was down to the members of the public who tended him at the roadside in the aftermath of the accident, and the wonderful veterinary staff who nursed him back to health.
So wouldn’t it be appropriate if he gave something back? Plus, his temperament is so gentle and loving that it made sense to share him with others.
I had already done some charity work for our local hospice in my role as an ITV television presenter so it would be an ideal place to visit. I checked out the Pets As Therapy website, filled in the forms and booked an assessment.
No pet can join the register unless they’re assessed, so Billy had some work to do. Many dogs fail to make the grade, however good-natured they may be, due to their boisterous behaviour and hyperactive tendencies. I don’t think my other dog would pass for those very reasons. He would lap up the attention of patients but he would also lap up every crumb on every surface.
Billy, in contrast, is much less naughty so I thought him ideal for this volunteering role.
Philippa with Billy Boy on his first day, left, and Christine McGowan, right, gets a cuddle from the Tibetan Terrier
His assessor was a vet and the test would take place in our local veterinary surgery. Now I know that dogs don’t possess the memory banks of humans, but I know they learn through association. And this was the very place where Billy had been poked and prodded and wired up to all sorts of paraphernalia just eight months previously. No wonder he shivered in my arms as we sat in the waiting room and, for a fleeting moment, my confidence in him wavered.
This assessment was all about temperament and attitude. A nervous, anxious dog could never be trusted in a place like a hospice, with busy corridors and unexpected noises. What’s more, they would never sit still long enough to be patted and stroked by patients.
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However, once the assessment began and the vet spoke to him in soothing tones, backed up with titbits, Billy’s nerves evaporated.
Response to being handled? Loved it — tick. Response to a food treat? Gently accepted without mouthing or snatching — tick. Response to a tray being thrown on a floor? Ignored — tick. Behaviour on lead? — minimal command required.
This dog, whose life had hung in the balance not so long ago, ticked every box. Even better, the experience taught him that the veterinary surgery isn’t an intimidating place after all, especially when a few treats are on offer.
Placid: A dog has to go through a variety of tests to see if it has the right temperament to deal with people in a hospice environment
Six weeks later and here we are, or rather, here is Billy. It’s not about me. To all intents and purposes I’m just the driver who spends an hour a week or a fortnight ferrying him from A to B.
I’m not suggesting Billy, or indeed any other dog, can heal people, but he can help them forget their life-limiting condition if only for a few moments while they run their fingers though his soft, sweetly-smelling coat.
Christine McGowan, 42, who has visited the hospice for three years, agrees. She has a rare genetic condition which leaves her confined to a wheelchair so she comes along for a few hours every week and stays for a few days’ respite care every four months.
‘Everyone makes a fuss of a person in a wheelchair,’ she says. ‘It’s nice that I can reciprocate it by making a fuss of dogs like Billy.
‘He keeps people like me calm because he is calm. What he must think of us lot smiling and watching him, though, I’ll never know.’
But it’s Maureen, chief executive of Pets As Therapy, who sums up the valuable work these dogs do.
‘I once visited the same nursing home for 17 years,’ she says. ‘One lady always used to sit by the door every week waiting for my dog to arrive. All she ever said was: “She’s my ray of sunshine, she’s my reason for staying alive”. You don’t forget things like that.’
I only hope these ladies won’t forget their precious moments with Billy. A year ago, I nearly lost him. A year on, I couldn’t be more proud of him.
For more information, contact the Pets As Therapy website by clicking here.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2079121/Meet-therapist-Last-year-Billy-terrier-saved-kindness-strangers-Now-repaying-debt-bringing-joy-desperately-ill.html#ixzz1hqJz0SvC
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:12 AM on 20th December 2011
A whippet who had escaped its owners forced a major airport runway to be closed, delaying flights while staff chased it across the tarmac.
Twelve flights were delayed and one passenger jet diverted 100 miles to find a landing spot after the dog strayed on to Manchester Airport's airfield.
The whippet escaped its owners while out for walkies nearby. Bolting past a guarded entrance, it fled into a cargo area at the international airport - the largest outside London.
Fast: With a top speed of 35mph, a whippet led Manchester Airport staff on a chase that left 12 flights delayed and one diverted 100 miles. (Library photo)
Frantic staff spent 40 minutes chasing the nimble hound across the the airfield, which has approximately the same area as Manchester City Centre.
Whippets boast a top speed of up to 35mph.
During the chase, airport chiefs took the decision to shut the runway for safety reasons, forcing 12 take-offs to be delayed and a Turkish Airlines jet to be diverted to Birmingham.
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A spokesman for the airport told MailOnline that the dog's owner had let it off the leash to put it into the car to go home when the animal bolted.
Gary Brown, the airport's duty manager, told the Manchester Evening News: 'It took some time to catch it. The airfield is obviously quite a big area.
'Because of the delay there was a build up of flights and we had to suspend a Turkish Airways flight from Istanbul. It was diverted to Birmingham, refuelled and has now made its way up here.
'Basically, if there is any lost animal on the runway, we have to stop all flights straight away.'
Shut down: The dog took 40 minutes to capture after it ran loose on the airfield at Manchester Airport - the busiest airport outside London
The whippet was eventually caught and returned to its owners.
It's the second time this year an escaped animal has sparked chaos at the airport.
A flamingo forced a runway to close in July after evading capture for five hours before flying off.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2076446/Beware-dog-Flights-delayed-airport-staff-try-catch-whippet-runway.html#ixzz1h5qIkRqV
Puppies found abandoned in the snow last Christmas Eve reunited after surviving against the odds
By Richard Hartley-parkinson
Last updated at 1:22 PM on 16th December 2011
They were found after being abandoned in the snow last Christmas Eve. Lost, starving and alone, the tiny puppies had been left for dead during one of the coldest winters on record.
But a year on, the MailOnline has caught up with Brandy and Pudding, now fully grown and leading happy lives with their new owners.
The puppies were both aged around 12 weeks when they were rescued last winter and taken to the Dogs Trust in Newbury, Berkshire.
What a difference a year makes: Brandy (left) and Pudding (right) look a lot healthier after being rescued and adopted by caring owners
Cold, hungry and left to die: Brandy and Pudding were cruelly dumped by their owners and left to fend for themselves in the snow
Dedicated staff gave them round-the-clock care over the festive period and they were re-homed early this year.
Now Pudding and Brandy have been brought together for a Christmas reunion at the Dogs Trust.
Manager Maureen Iggleden said: 'Pudding and Brandy survived against all odds and they now lead happy and healthy lives with their new owners.
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'Not all puppies are so lucky and we urge anyone thinking of buying a puppy for Christmas to consider the responsibility as they require a lot of time and commitment and can live for up to 16 years.
'Puppies should never be given as gifts and Pudding and Brandy highlight the dangers of impulse puppy purchases.'
Brandy, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was severely underweight when he was rescued in Reading, Berkshire, while Pudding, a Boxer cross, was found in woodland with a distended stomach.
After being nursed back to health the puppies were found new homes - Brandy now lives with Mark Wright in Berkshire while Pudding is in the care of Kat Eighteen.
Dog carer Jess Ockwell with Brandy and Pudding before they were found new owners
Miss Iggleden said staff had been shocked at the way the puppies had been abandoned.
She said when they were found last year: 'We suspect Brandy and Pudding may have been bought as Christmas presents and dumped when their owners realised the work involved in looking after a puppy.
'Our centre looks after hundreds of abandoned and unwanted dogs every year but it still shocks us to think that someone could so callously abandon a puppy, especially in these weather conditions.'
Dogs Trust chief executive Clarissa Baldwin, who coined the slogan 'A dog is for life not just for Christmas', added: 'Sadly there are still people out there who think pets are as disposable as Christmas wrapping paper.'
Click here to visit the Dogs Trust
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2074926/Puppies-abandoned-freezing-snow-Christmas-Eve-reunited-surviving-odds.html#ixzz1gi3JbedC
- Bag had been hit by car killing all kittens inside but two
By Wil Longbottom
Two kittens stuffed inside a bag and cruelly dumped in the middle of a road were heroically rescued... by a dog.
Tipper and Skipper had been sealed inside a Meow Mix bag along with the rest of their litter and left in the street in Des Moines, Iowa.
The bag had been hit by a car, killing some of the kittens inside, when a passing dog came to their rescue, picking up the bag and carrying it home.
Left for dead: Tipper and Skipper were thrown into a bag with several other kittens and dumped in the middle of a road
Saved: The vulnerable pair would not have survived if it were not for heroic dog Regan, who came to their rescue
Regan refused to stop whining to her owner until they had opened the bag, revealing the grisly contents and two seriously injured but still alive kittens.
Linda Blakely, from Iowa's Raccoon Valley Animal Sanctuary, told CBS: 'The instinct of the dog was to nurture and not kill the kittens.
'With all the blood some dogs would have responded to the scent. Reagan the dog is a hero.'
She added: 'When she reached in, the horror of these kittens covered in blood and guts quickly revealed that there were more that didn't make it.'
The two kittens were treated at the sanctuary and nursed back to health over three months. They are both now up for adoption.
Hero: Regan, pictured, passed by the dumped bag, picked it up and carried it home
Safe: The two kittens have been nursed back to health and are now up for adoption
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2071170/Two-kittens-stuffed-inside-cat-food-bag-dumped-road-rescued--dog.html#ixzz1fxNplOkJ
- Almost double traditional litter of eight or nine
By EMILY ALLEN
When three-year-old Romy went into labour her owners knew they had a long night ahead of them.
But when she started to give birth at their Coventry home she didn’t stop until an astonishing 15 Irish setter puppies were born.
The amazing feat was almost double the average of a traditional litter of eight or nine and not far off the UK record.
Proud mum: Romy with her litter of 15 healthy Irish setter newborns born after eight hours of labour
The record in Britain is 24 pups which was set in 2004 in Cambridgeshire beating the previous record of 13.
Romy spent eight hours in labour with just a few hours break before giving birth to the remaining five heaviest puppies.
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Owners and friends Alicia Copping and Natasha White, both aged 28, of Allesley, remained by her side.
They have had Romy and father Ruben, aged six, since they were puppies.
Tough going: Romy spent eight hours in labour with just a few hours break before giving birth to the remaining five heaviest puppies
The squealing newborns, a healthy 10 girls and five boys, weighed between 275 and 339 grams.
Within just a week they have doubled in size.
Despite not being able to open their eyes they have been gulping milk every two hours of the day.
Ms White, who specialises in breeding guide dogs, said: 'We did a scan when Romy was just four weeks pregnant and we thought we saw eight or nine. So you can imagine our shock when she carried on giving birth to more.
'She was very tired by the end of it. We gave her a walk round the garden after her 10th one. Then after two hours the others came out.
'The last one to be born was the biggest. It took Romy more effort to get him out than the others.
New arrivals: Owner Natasha White with two of the 15 puppies. Despite not being able to open their eyes they have been gulping milk every two hours of the day
'We were in shock when she kept going. We thought ''oh crikey'' how is she going to get the last few out but she did it.'
Exhausted Romy doesn’t have enough milk for all her offspring so Ms Copping and Ms White feed them a milk substitute in a bottle instead.
Ms White, a police officer based at Coventry Central Station, said: 'Between us we’re looking after the puppies 24 hours a day. Natasha does the day shifts and I do the nights because I’m used to doing night shifts for work.
'I’ve never helped a dog give birth - my work doesn’t prepare you for something like this.'
Ms White said being a mother has come naturally to Romy.
She said: 'This is her first litter but she’s such a natural. She knows exactly what to do, she’s a fantastic mum.
Tiny: The squealing newborns, a healthy 10 girls and five boys, weighed between 275 and 339 grams
'It’s a miracle how she managed to get them out.'
The owners were so excited by the birth they decided to set up their own website, www.rosarenosirishsetters.co.uk, to document their development.
Ms White said: 'There is a particular greedy one. She wakes up in between feeds screaming for more milk. Another of the girls is quite chilled out.
'One of the boys looks like his dad, he has a long body.'
The owners, who will keep one of the puppies, are inviting people to give the remaining 14 a loving home.
They are also looking to name the puppies after fairytale characters which begin with the letter R but could do with some ideas.
Ms White said: 'We’ve named the smallest pup Rosie but we would love some help on naming the others.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2070182/Romy-Irish-Setter-gives-birth-huge-litter-15-puppies.html#ixzz1fgCRfzYe
