Every year at Crufts, “the world’s greatest dog show”, Pets As Therapy (PAT) announces the HiLife PAT Dog Of The Year.
The prize is given to one of the many four-legged heroes who brings joy, comfort and companionship to people in hospitals, care homes and schools.
In 2018, a Labrador-Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross called Inca, owned by PAT volunteer Sheena Scrimgeour, picked up the trophy.
Inca, the 2018 HiLife PAT dog of the year.
Inca has been a PAT dog for more than eight years. Along with Sheena, she regularly visits Hellesdon High School in Norwich, as well as dementia cafés, universities, local hospitals and a prison.
Describing the effect Inca’s visits can have, the chaplain at Hellesdon Hospital had the following to say:
“You just feel her presence in your heart.”
For more on charities supported by “The People’s Friend”, visit our Helping Others pages.
In 2018, “The People’s Friend” began publishing a series featuring the amazing work of Pets As Therapy. Founded in 1983, the national charity aims to enhance community health and well-being. It does this by encouraging volunteers and their behaviourally assessed animals to visit hospitals, hospices, nursing and care homes, special needs schools and a variety of other venues all across the UK.
Georgia Wood Georgia works as part of the magazine marketing team. She loves that her job is very varied, every day is different working across all of DCT Media's magazines. She likes trying new things, from cooking to crafting, she's currently learning to knit!
