Pets For Therapy

Our "Pets For Therapy" (PFT) Services

 

Due to declining health Yvonne will be retiring, and the Pets For Therapy will cease after 26 years at the end of 2015

 

 

Should you require further information, please contact us

Our service and aim is to provide joy, love and laughter.

 

Our program is designed to entertain and to gently introduce the interaction between our dog-volunteers and our "audience".

 

Our Service includes:

1. Visits to Nursing Homes -
   We are currently visiting over 60 aged care facilities, as well as the blind and visually impaired, mental health facilities, respite centres and hospitals.
   
   
2. Educational Programs - at Gold Coast Schools
   We provide programs to encourage responsible pet ownership to children and provide support to local fetes.
   
   
3. Fun Programs for special occasions - Birthdays - etc.
   
   
4. Fundraising and Promotion for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
   
   
5. We have suitable, obedience trained and qualified dogs.
   
   
6. Props of the highest standard.
   
   
7. Dogs dressed for every occasions.
   
   
8. Children with special needs.

The props we use are of the highest standard, spotlessly clean, with a variety of sets and screens for each calendar occasions e.g.,
Christmas, Mothers Day, Easter, Melbourne Cup, Indy, and many more...

 

For St.Patricks Day we have dogs dressed as leprechauns which delighted both the children and the residents of the homes we visited.

 

During the Sydney Olympics we celebrated the games with the residents with dogs jumping over a high jump, balancing, retrieving a discus and receiving medals on a podium.

 

We encourage interaction with the audience.
In 2001 we celebrated the Centenary of Federation and....

In 2002 the year of the Outback.

In 2003 we are going back to the 50th and 60th.

 

We currently ask for a donation from health care facilities...

In health care and other institutions, animals help people in many other ways:

It has also been discovered that patients in institutions who are visited by animals show a marked increase in willingness to accept medical treatment and care.

Nursing Homes residents and patients often feel isolated and even the most withdrawn seem to open up and let the barriers down when the Pet for Therapies visits them...

Like the people who haven't spoken for years, who have whispered "Good Dog" to one of our dogs....
The companionship of an undemanding animal, who gives unconditional love, is often one of the most missed aspects of their lives.

 

PFT was formed to help make this loss more bearable and to speed recovery.

 

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News Articles about Pets for Therapy

 

13.3.2002

Pet cause turns treat for Yvonne

Article by Valerie Jones

For 12 years Southport resident Yvonne Cody has been bringing joy into the lives of the frail aged and disabled trough her volunteer work in Pets for Therapy.

 

Recently the tables were turned when Yvonne received some 'pet' therapy herself ...
.... in a big way.

 

She had the chance to stroke a tiger at Dreamworld's Tiger Island, an experience she described as 'truly wonderful'.

Yvonne was given her special treat as a thankyou present by the interstate relatives of a 91-year-old Miami woman she has befriended for many years.

Last November the elderly woman fell and broke her hip and was hospitalised for three months. During that time Yvonne not only cared for her friend's garden, keeping it alive during an almost unprecedented heatwave, she also visited her in hospital daily, looked after her washing and paid the bills. "My friend has no children and no relatives on the Coast and I'm her only close friend in Queensland,", said Yvonne who with her loyal poodle JoJo leads PFT volunteers and their animals into nursing homes around the coast, often five days a week.

 

"Over the years we have seen some wonderful responses to our pets from people who are otherwise non verbal because of conditions like dementia," said Yvonne.

"Stroking Sultan, the big tiger really showed me first hand just how therapeutic getting up close and personal with an animal really is."

"My friend's relatives really could not have given me a better treat."

Yvonne said while the 15 minute 'one-on-one' time with Sultan went all too fast, she ended up spending the whole day on Tiger Island.

"I saw one of the baby tigers born three months ago who was on a ventilator and saw the other big cats playing and it was just so amazing to see incredible interaction of them with their handlers.

"It was beautiful to see such love in a world where there is so much sadness.

"I'd go as far as saying it was the best day of my life."

 

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