Older dog lovers in our region need your help!

Our volunteers are the beating heart of Wag, and by sharing their lovely dogs, they transform the lives of older dog lovers. All it takes is an hour or two most weeks.

We’re looking for volunteers and their cuddly dogs in the following areas. Can you help?

Tyne & Wear

Newcastle upon Tyne
Mr N lives with a debilitating health condition which impacts his ability to go out, he absolutely loves dogs, always having had German Shepherds but it’s not possible. He would love a friend with a lovely dog to visit – a big dog if possible but he loves all dogs – it’s possible that stroking a dog again will be therapeutic for him. Could you help?

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Visiting patients in wards and ultimately in the community. We are supporting the RVI and Freeman Hospitals with our beautiful low-shedding Friendship Dogs. So rewarding, would you like to join them?

County Durham

Near Bishop Auckland
Mrs L is a widow and lives alone after she lost her husband.  They always had dogs and she badly misses them, Border Collies, Jack Russells and Spaniels are her favourite! It’s not possible to have one of her own now and for health reasons she finds herself spending a great deal of time alone and she’s finding the isolation and loneliness hard to live with. Can you and your lovely cuddly dog help?

Peterlee
Mrs S is 88 and lives alone in Peterlee. Although she has regular visits from carers, she spends a lot of her time at home on her own as she is unable to get out and about. Mrs S misses her Westie, and the companionship of owning a dog but due to her health is unable to have one now. Regular visits from a friend and their lovely dog would make the world of difference to Mrs S. Could you and your lovely dog be the perfect Visiting Wag Team for her?

Darlington
Mrs R is 82 and lives alone near Darlington. She loves dogs and always had one, Border Collies, Old English Sheepdogs, rescues, she also bred some dogs of her own, she always had a dog in her life. It’s very hard now that she can’t have one of her own again for health reasons and she really misses them. We’re hoping for a larger breed and a collie would be perfect of course to visit Mrs R regularly and make her world feel brighter. Could your dog be her new best friend?

Teesside & North Yorkshire

Stockton-On-Tees

Mrs B is 87 and lives alone at home after losing her husband. Although her sons pop in regularly to see her, she spends most of the day alone at home. She really loves dogs and even has dog ornaments in her house – a reminder of the small terriers and cocker spaniel she had in the past. Due to her health, having a dog of her own isn’t possible, but Mrs B would love to spend time with a Friendship dog and their lovely owner, and hopes this will help to build her confidence to join more community groups and socialise more. Could you and your lovely dog be the ones to brighten Mrs B’s days?

Redcar

Mrs R is 69, she lives in Redcar with a difficult health condition which meant she recently had to give up her beloved Shih Tzu.  So very hard! With no family close by, Mrs R finds herself spending a lot of time at home alone, so she would massively benefit from regular visits from a small dog, a Shih Tzu would, of course, be just what the Doctor ordered! Do you have a small cuddly dog or maybe even a Shih Tzu?? to bring a lovely dog back into Mrs R’s life?

Miss C lives alone with challenging health issues in Redcar.   She has no family to visit and she’s become very isolated;  a weekly shopping trip with a carer and a visit to a local community group are the only times she gets out and about.  Miss C always had dogs, small dogs, mostly terriers, and she really misses having one in her life.  She had really benefitted from some taster sessions with a paid for therapy dog visiting service but sadly she wasn’t able to continue.  Miss C needs a friend who has a small dog and a couple of hours most weeks to make the world of difference to her life.

Mrs W is 88 and lives alone after losing her husband 7 years ago. With limited mobility and deteriorating sight, she can no longer enjoy the hobbies she once loved and, like any of us would, she often feels isolated and bored. Her family lives far away, so visits are occasional, making the days feel even longer. Mrs W used to have Poodles, but she adores all dogs however, her health prevents her from having one of her own. She is very sociable and would love nothing more than regular visits from a lovely dog and a friendly face to have a good chat over a cuppa. Could you and your dog help to make Mrs’s W’s world feel a little bigger?