LOCAL LIFE
MAKE A DIFFERENCE : Hills Pet Buddies
by Lorna Gordon
If you are lucky enough to have a furry , feathered or scaly friend at home , you ’ ll understand the joy that they bring to your life . From morning walks to night time cuddles , calming time watching your fish in their tank or having your bird sing to you , they really do make your house more of a home .
Sandra Merhi of Hills Pet Buddies knows this and understands that many of our older people who now live in age care miss their pet companions and the benefits they bring . She started taking her own dogs into age care facilities in 2004 and in 2016 began her own Pet Therapy service to encourage other volunteer to do the same .
“ We don ’ t train our therapy animals , instead we train the people to manage their animals so they don ’ t sit on people ’ s feet and can work with each clients ’ personal requirements . We are very respectful of our client ’ s room being their home and will only enter if they wish to meet the animals .”
Sandra has seen firsthand how beneficial it is for their clients to have the visits from their furry friends , which can be dogs , cats and even rabbits ! Currently one of the stars of the business is a beautiful rag doll cat , named Duchess . Duchess , as per her name , is taken through the facilities in a stroller and will often indicate to her owner that she wants to go into a particular room .
“ Duchess seems to know which people need extra care ; we don ’ t know how she does it . All the people she indicates she wants to visit are either having a bad day or might not be feeling well , and a visit from this beautiful cat seems to help them feel happier or gets them to talk about why they are unwell when they haven ’ t mentioned it to the staff ,” Sandra explained .
Staff members accompany Sandra and the other volunteers during each visit to make sure that they are aware of any special needs of the clients and help out if necessary .
The visits help the residents of the facilities with cognition . They often talk about their own animals which helps with memory . The pets can calm people down suffering with dementia and give them some respite , and of course they brighten up the day of people who have had to leave behind beloved pets when they move into the age care residence .
The visits also help family members who are there at the same time , as they often get to see a side of their family member they haven ’ t seen in a long time
These furry friends spread happiness wherever they go !
as they are happy and relaxed with the therapy animal .
Sandra and her husband live on acreage and open their home in spring and autumn , so people visit , enjoy being outside with beautiful views , morning tea and get to meet Sandra ’ s other animals , a group of three fluffy alpacas !
Hills Pet Buddies are looking for people to volunteer their time and bring their friendly pets to visit age care homes . If you are interested , you can contact Sandra on hillspetbuddies2016 @ gmail . com .
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 110 // AUGUST 2024 9