Aroundtown MEETS
Everyone is taught that angels have two feathered wings. But here in Barnsley, they have four furry paws – plus a wet nose, thick fluffy coat and piercing blue and amber eyes.
They may not be able to fly, but four Siberian Huskies glide across the floor to greet us with a powerfully calming aura much greater than you could ever imagine
They’re far from human and yet nothing like a
dog. Yes, they have four legs, a tail and a snout but the resemblance stops there. They’re free- thinking spirits that are teaching people across the country about humanity, helping them to stay paws-itive along whatever journey lies ahead. Since 2017, Stormy, Thunder, Thor and Binny Boo have been working as registered therapy dogs; benevolent guardians that have touched the hearts of hundreds of people across the country living with dementia, bereavement, loneliness, autism, cancer, sensory-impairment, end of life, mental health and so much more.
The huskies have learnt to sense a person’s emotional needs and provide comfort, support and unconditional love when people need it the most. It’s hard to feel sad when a giant fluffy dog walks in the room.
As we meet the dogs and their owner, Adrian Ashworth, at his home in Pogmoor, our interview is spent either gawping in awe and amazement as the dogs do their tricks, grinning so wide at their tales – and tails – that our cheeks hurt, or stifling a tear at the admirable and remarkable work these precious animal do so selflessly for others. Thunder took a special liking to Cheryl and sat at her feet throughout our stay, perhaps sensing she needed a little comfort as the huskies reminded her of her own dog, big teddy bear Nelson, a Japanese Akita who sadly crossed the rainbow bridge a few years ago.
Although most owners would say their pets are special, Adrian first noticed his dogs were exceptionally different when they were still puppies. Adrian has always had dogs and had a timber wolf husky hybrid before getting Stormy as a 12-week-old puppy nine years ago. When she was four, Adrian bred Stormy and hand-delivered her litter of five puppies.
“The intention was to just keep the one
girl – Indigo as she was first called. But Thunder looked at me with these eyes that said I was his dad and that was it, he was staying. We sadly lost one puppy, sold one to a friend and kept the other three.
“I am their dad. I used to sleep with them in their pen when they were really young puppies and even now if I lie on the kitchen floor at 3am then all three pups still come and lie with me,” Adrian says. When the puppies were around a year old, Adrian noticed Thunder would want to be near his father, Alan. Thunder would try to lick Alan’s temples, sit at his feet and was constantly checking on him. Then the other three dogs would gather around him.
As an accountant, Alan would help his son with his books for his IT company. But they started not to balance which Adrian thought was out of character for his methodical dad who was never a penny out.
Then he started forgetting passwords and other important information which is when Adrian knew something wasn’t quite right. “Not long after, Dad was diagnosed with dementia but we knew that before the doctor confirmed it – Thunder had picked up on it before any of us had.”
Inspired by Thunder’s instinctive notion, Adrian began working with BIADS – Barnsley Independent Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support – to offer dog therapy to their members.
Here, Adrian was able to train all four dogs in what he calls a ‘fluffover’ where people with dementia are encouraged to pat and stroke the dogs to improve their wellbeing.
Thunder and Adrian’s dad, Alan, who passed away in November
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aroundtownmagazine.co.uk
Although animal-assisted therapy is a relatively new concept, Florence Nightingale in her Notes on Nursing wrote about the benefits an animal
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