A PRESENTATION at Liphook Millennium Centre by Patricia Bland, voluntary area co-ordinator for Pets As Therapy (PAT), highlighted the importance this charitable organisation has for the community.

Volunteers and their dogs or cats provide much needed company for elderly people in nursing homes, hospitals, hospices as well as day centres such as the Liphook Peak Centre, which receives regular visits by volunteer June Gurney, with her Spaniels Jack (4) and Scrumpy (8).

Dogs bring joy to the elderly, often stirring happy memories, especially for those with dementia.

PAT also runs a “read to dogs” scheme in special and mainstream schools to help build confidence among pupils with learning difficulties which allows young people who are nervous about reading aloud the opportunity to read to a dog.

Mrs Bland pointed out that dogs do not judge and provide a less stressful environment, which often pays dividends in improving the confidence and speech of previously reluctant readers.

She said: “Our dogs are called PAT dogs and this is exactly what the people we visit can do, pat the dog, stroke the dog, cuddle the dog and sometimes just watch the dog – to give them a warm feeling inside.

“After all the dog doesn’t judge them, doesn’t ask difficult questions and doesn’t answer back – it is just a friend even for a short time.

“The hugely valuable social, tactile and emotional benefits the dogs bring to people shouldn’t be under-estimated.”

East Hampshire District Council has recently awarded the charity a £1,000 grant to help it continue its valuable work.

Council leader Richard Millard said: “They do an astonishing job and people don’t realise how much work the volunteers put in.

“It makes such a difference when you see how people greet them, particularly the older people, you can see how much it means to them to be able to meet and interact with these lovely dogs for a while.”

The charity, which was formed in 1983, relies on volunteers to come forward with their own pets.

Currently it has 6,000 volunteer dogs and nearly 100 cats visiting more than 150,000 people in the UK.

All breeds of cats and dogs can become part of a PAT Team – they must have been with their owner for at least six months, be over nine months of age and be able to pass the temperament assessment, as well as be fully vaccinated.