A TAVISTOCK businesswoman who helps change people’s lives for the better has now taken the bold decision to volunteer with a national charity whilst being with her beloved rottweiler.

Nikki Marker, a director at Hansford Bell Chartered Financial Planners in Tavistock, is passionate about dogs, especially her two-year-old pet Graham — and after much soul searching the pair are now volunteers with Pets As Therapy.

Pets As Therapy, founded in 1983, relies on its many volunteers who, along with their well-behaved dogs, make regular visits to nursing homes, hospitals, hospices and day care centres. The volunteers spend time with patients, residents or visitors, allowing them to stroke the PAT Dog and enjoy some companionship.

Nikki said: ‘I am used to helping people change their lives for the better, but I felt it was about time I looked to improve things in my own life and whilst we are busy at Hansford Bell, I decided to put some time aside each week to train Graham as a PAT dog.’

Nikki, who lives in Pensilva with her husband Steve, has owned Graham since he was an eight-week-old puppy and it was instantly noticeable that he had a calm temperament.

‘His temperament shone through and I knew I wanted to share him with people in need of the unreserved affection that dogs can give.’

Pets As Therapy volunteers and their four-legged friends aim to provide a special brand of care that help raise a smile in sick or withdrawn patients.

For those who no longer live in their own home, or elderly people who attend day care centres but are unable to own a pet, interacting with a PAT dog is known to bring great comfort and joy. Patting a dog, and seeing it respond, gives people a little extra boost in addition to medical and nursing care.

‘After comprehensive testing of us both, we were asked to visit Liskeard Hospital for the benefit of the inpatients, perhaps missing their own pets,’ added Nikki.

‘I have always loved rottweilers but I never had one with the right temperament to become a PAT dog, so now I have found the time and have Graham it enabled me to do what I wanted to do in the community and with a dog as they are my passion.

‘Graham is laid back and loyal and has a wonderful temperament and enjoys being stroked — he just sits by their bedside and soaks up all the adoration they give.

‘In the first week there was a lady who couldn’t see and was frail and her husband whispered that there was a dog and she softly nodded, I then tapped the bed and Graham put his head up and her husband put her hand on Graham’s nose and her face lit up — that was the first time she had smiled in a week.

‘It’s seeing the pleasure on the patients’ faces and knowing the comfort he is giving them that makes us keep going back.’

For more information on the charity, visit their website www.petsastherapy.org