Life's better with Bella the Newbury therapy dog

Have you met Bella? She’s as soft as down and has the sweetest nature. You may see her around on a bike ride with Barry Hopperton, on countryside walks, enjoying a ham roll in the beer garden or a little bit of cake in a local café.

Or maybe you’ve come across her at the hospital or hospice.

For Bella is a seven-and-a-half-year-old cockerpoo – a cocker spaniel/poodle cross – and she ‘volunteers’ as a therapy dog with her Bucklebury owner Barry.

With the easing of Covid restrictions, Barry and Bella have recently resumed their visits to the wards at West Berkshire Community Hospital (WBCH) on Wednesday afternoons. Bella hops up onto a chair on arrival and Barry wheels her off to meet both patients and staff.

“They all love her,” says Barry. “They call them Bella Wednesdays. I take her to visit the physios and then on to the wards to see the patients and any visitors they may have.

“The patients have to look twice when they see a dog come into the ward being pushed around on a chair, but they love it. And it’s lovely to see the reaction and interaction between them and Bella.

"I think the staff make more of a fuss of her than the patients, though. They always mention about ‘taking her home’ and wishing their own dog was ‘as well behaved as Bella’. Sometimes I think the hardworking staff need more therapy than the patients… they are always so pleased to see her.”

Hospital visits can aid a patient’s recovery and rehabilitation and help improve mental health and wellbeing. Senior volunteering coordinator at WBCH Chrissie Stockwell explains their value: “Many of our patients have pets at home or have owned pets previously and pet therapy seems to fill a void. We all know the therapeutic effect of stroking a pet, so it is ideal for our patients.

“When Bella leaves we all say goodbye to her and poor Barry is an afterthought!"

And Bella certainly enjoys all the fuss made of her, but then she’s an old hand at the job, having been a PAT – Pets As Therapy - dog for the past four-and-a-half years.

Like many people, volunteering was something Barry had never previously considered, however “sometimes something happens in your life and you re-evaluate,” he says.

“For me, it was when my wife had cancer and ended up in the Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent hospice.

“We’d had Bella for about two years then and I took her in every day to see her. Bella was a natural at looking after my wife and spent time on her bed with her.

“It was the nurses there that mentioned that Bella would make a good therapy dog.

“When my wife passed away, I wanted to give something back to Sue Ryder for all the help they had given her in her last few months and so I took Bella through the appropriate training to become a PAT dog and became a volunteer at the Duchess of Kent Hospice in Reading with her.

“I also visited the Charles Clore cancer care unit in the WBCH, which is where the hospital got to hear about her work and we were then invited to visit the wards in the hospital.”

Chrissie remembers: “I first met Barry and Bella when they joined the volunteering team at The Charles Clore Unit, which is now Sue Ryder. I saw first-hand what a difference Bella made to the patients and staff when she visited and then I approached the ward Inpatients Manager about coming onto the wards.

“We all love seeing Bella on a Wednesday; it is therapy for both patients and staff.

“It seems like a little treat during your busy day.”

Of course, not all dogs make suitable therapy pets, but Bella is a very patient, relaxed, friendly and loving dog. And she has a special bond with Barry. “When I arrive at the hospital she jumps up onto a chair and I spend the time there pushing her around to all the patients and staff. She will only get off the chair when we have finished our rounds. How cool is that?” says Barry.

To become a PAT dog, the dog must have a certain level of training, normally through puppy training courses. They must have a very good temperament and be well-behaved. If they have those traits, then you can apply to the national charity PAT dog association which will carry out a lengthy assessment before passing them.

Back at Newbury hospital, Chrissie is looking for new recruits. “We are lucky to have four PAT dogs visit our wards, coming in on different days," she adds. "We have Jasper, Scooby and a new addition, Jess. However, Bella is our longest serving member of canine staff!

“If anyone has taken their pet to PAT training and would like to visit the wards, just contact me to become a volunteer and we can get all the paperwork sorted and then you can join us.”

As for volunteer Barry, he finds great reward in the enjoyment of giving up time to help others. “Seeing the reaction of people to myself and Bella when we arrive, and the lovely comments we get from the patients and staff, makes it all worthwhile,” he says.

To contact Chrissie Stockwell, email Christine.Stockwell@berkshire.nhs.uk or call her on 01635 273449.

PICTURES BY PHIL CANNINGS