Visiting Wag Team Olivia and Kobe visit Ella near Durham City

Olivia and Kobe have been visiting Ella since January 2019. Ella has full time carers and a condition which confines her to a wheelchair which is very challenging for her. Ella has always loved dogs and she had German Shepherds of her own so her daughter, Elaine, just knew that a Visiting Wag Team would make a difference to her Mum.

Elaine told us, “As a daughter there is no greater comfort or achievement than that which comes from making your precious loved ones smile. My Mother is a full time wheelchair user with much of her priceless independence and opportunities in life narrowed and limited.

Mam had not been able to have the pleasure and companionship of an animal for many years, and having previously spent most of her life doing this, I began to realise how very important this was to her during our outings when she would spend much of her time careering off in her wheelchair to the nearest dog on a leash.

To see Mam reach out with a warm heart and a difficult well meaning stretch of her desperate hand, only to gain slight contact with a patient furry head or wagging tail, gave me enormous motivation in searching for a way to enable the prospect of a delightful K9 friendship into her home and life again.

I was more than relieved and excited when I finally found WAG.”

 Kobe

She added, “I simply cannot describe how it feels to see the contentment on Mam’s face now that she is able to spend time with her tremendously patient and loving friend Kobe and his extremely special owner Olivia. Mam and Kobe share a loving connection, a warm relaxed familiarity and a wonderful sense of mischief together.

Mam has gained two irreplaceable friendships to express herself within once again and I have most certainly achieved my goal of restoring Mam’s treasured smile and her uniquely refreshing fun loving character!

I like to think that our small but regular donation as a Friend of Wag makes an extremely worthwhile contribution to continuing to restore many more smiles of those who yearn for the irreplaceable companionship of a faithful animal.“

Elaine Baldwin