Bringing smiles to young patients at the RVI
Jackie and Martin have been familiar faces on Ward 1b at the RVI for the past five years, and more recently on Ward 7 too. They visit with their Cockapoo, Daisy, first as Pets As Therapy volunteers, and now proudly wearing the red bandanas for Wag & Company, which is all part of our wonderful partnership with Newcastle Hospitals.
Walk for Wag…anywhere is back!
Take a walk on the Wag side… anytime, any place. We’re very excited to announce the relaunch of Walk for Wag… Anywhere, a chance to enjoy the outdoors, stretch your legs, and make a difference for older dog lovers across the North East.
Older dog lovers in our region who need Wag friends!
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 new volunteers and their cuddly dogs in the following areas. Can you help?
Huge support for the Wag community, LNER supporting 40 Wag Teams!
Such a wonderful gift for Wag this year. It’s been very special to work with Rachael and the team at LNER and to receive their support through our Customer and Community Investment Fund. The grant also meant that LNER would fund the production of a video by acclaimed journalist and ex BBC Inside Out presenter,…
Fizzy Friday, 31st Jan: an afternoon of fun, fundraising and inspiring Wag stories!
31st January, was our second Fizzy Friday Fundraising Afternoon Tea at As You Like It in Jesmond! Another fantastic day, hosted this time by the wonderful Anna Foster from BBC Radio Newcastle who incredibly also donated her time. We sold all 120 tickets and raised almost exactly £6,000 – absolutely amazing! £6,000 funds 13 vulnerable people alone in their own homes to have Wag friends visiting most weeks for a whole year, friends for life, changing the way they feel about the world! Wonderful, here’s to next time! Friday 14 November. Save the date ✨
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?
Volunteer profile: the Twiby Family
After teaching for 42 years, having spare time on my hands was not something I was used to. I even joined Facebook to fill in some time, and this was how I first learned about Wag in 2018. My husband, Dave, also retired, was keen to sign up too, and so we both joined Wag…
Facing fears and jumping out of a plane for Wag! Can you support Helen?
Helen’s not a fan of heights or flying (!) and says she’s “scared of everything”…but she’s still signed up to jump out of a plane at Peterlee for Wag in July! Wow, Helen! Can you support her?
Welcoming new Friends of Wag and growing our community
It’s such an honour for us when people choose to support us. We are particularly grateful to our Friends of Wag, who give regularly and help to enable over 2,300 people across the North East to regularly benefit from the company of our special Wag teams. It’s thanks to you all that we can continue…
Three years of friendship: our important new partnership with Newcastle Hospitals Trust
This is a really exciting time for Wag as we recently launched our three year partnership with Newcastle Hospitals Charity. We will be bringing smiles to the faces of patients and staff with visits from Friendship Dogs at the RVI, the Freeman Hospital, the Great North Children’s Hospital as well as patients in their own homes in the community. Another very special moment for our little charity, and we couldn’t be prouder!
We’re painting the North East Wag red!
It’s an incredibly exciting time for Wag, and we have a brilliant local marketing and communications agency The Works, to thank for that! Supported by Chris Owens’ wonderful photographs, their generosity and expertise have brought our very first BIG recruitment campaign to life, helping us to spread the word of Wag far and wide and inspiring more volunteers to join us in making our special difference.
Welcoming new Community Friends of Wag
Together we’re visiting residents in almost 150 residential care homes across the region and from the beginning we had hoped they would love what we do so much that the care homes would contribute to our costs. Until recently only a very small number helped, but we’ve been delighted to welcome 16 Community Friends who are supporting Wag, the most recent being Ashington Grange, part of the HC-One Group.
Older dog lovers in our region need your help!
February 2025 and here are just a sample of some very special people in need of Wag friends.
Older people in need across our region! Can you help?
January 2025 and here are just a sample of some very special people in need of Wag friends.
Volunteer profile: Sharon and lovely Mabel
“Giving a small amount of our time, meeting such lovely people and sharing our love of dogs makes such a big difference; it really is a privilege for both of us.”
Nic and Friendship Dog Skye visit Mr and Mrs M in Co.Durham
Mr and Mrs M live in Durham and they are both lifelong dog lovers. They sadly lost their beloved dog a couple of years ago and have really missed having a furry friend in their home ever since. Mrs M’s health conditions have meant they were unable to get another dog, which has been really…
Sarah and Friendship Dog Miley visit Mrs C in Gateshead
Mrs C is 83 and lives alone in her home in Gateshead after losing her husband. Dogs have always been a huge part of her life and her home is full of photos of them all, but after she lost her last dog, she got her much-needed doggy fix by walking her sister in law’s…
Sue and Friendship Dog Barry visit Mr C in the Tees Valley
Mr C lost his wife not long ago and now he lives alone in his home near Redcar. Even though his sons live close by, his house feels very empty, and he misses his wife terribly. Mr C and his wife always had dogs, and as it’s not possible for him to have a dog of his own now, regular visits from Sue and her lovely boy, Barry the Labradoodle, are the next best thing.
Penny and Friendship Dog Ruby visit Mrs F in Middlesbrough
Mrs F is 81 and she’s lived alone in Middlesbrough since she lost her husband a few years ago. She sadly had to rehome her beloved bestie, Teddy the Chihuahua less than a year ago due to her worsening health and mobility which can be debilitating. Although Mrs F knows she made the kindest decision, she of course misses him dearly. She gets regular updates from Teddy’s new owners but needed a furry friend to help fill the Chihuahua shaped hole in her heart.
Jane and Friendship Dog Yogi visit Ms Marjorie B in Newcastle.
Marjorie has always had dogs, Jack Russells and long haired terriers mainly, but she lives alone and now with some difficult health issues, she’s unable to have a dog of her own and she misses them terribly. When she heard about Wag from her GP, she said how excited she was that having dog…
Visiting Wag Team Steph and Finn visit Max in Ayresome Court in Stockton-On-Tees
Beautiful Friendship Dog Finn the Golden Retriever has been visiting Ayresome Court in Stockton on Tees with Steph for some years now and he’s made some great friends, but Finn always visits his bestie Max first for treats and cuddles and he’s never happier than when he’s lying on Max’s bed. Max is deaf and…
Visiting Wag Team Jan and Teddy visit Mrs Mary C in Newcastle
Mary you’ll be amazed to know, is 90 years old. She has significant and deteriorating sight issues and she lives alone in Newcastle. Mary is a huge dog lover but it’s not possible to have one of her own now. Her last dog, a much loved Yorkshire Terrier, lived til she was 21 and Mary…
Visiting Wag Team Louise and Bronte visit Mr Dave L in Gateshead
Dave and his wife live in their own home in Gateshead. Dave is deaf, he lip reads brilliantly though and until early in the year he had a much loved hearing dog, Connie the Bichon Frise, who never left his side. She was a source of assistance, but also love and comfort and both Dave…
Visiting Wag Team Ellie and Toby visit Miss Shirley S in Redcar
Miss S has lived alone for 40 years after her Mum passed away. She has a chronic health condition which is challenging and means she can’t get out independently, and she spends a great deal of time in bed or in a chair alone. She is a huge dog lover; the family always had dogs, but…
Visiting Wag Team Helen and Jasper visit Mrs Gladys D near Consett
Mrs D is in her 90s, amazingly, and she lives alone after her beloved husband passed away a few years ago. She has some health issues which affect her ability to go out, she’s lost a number of friends recently and whilst she’s a huge dog lover (they always had dogs in their family), she can’t…
Visiting Wag Team Steph and Alfie visit Mrs Josephine P in Middlesbrough
Mrs P was referred to us by Adult Social Care in 2022 after her health deteriorated and she couldn’t get out and about like she used to. She was spending too much time on her own as a result, and her blood pressure was problematic, which they felt could be helped by stroking a dog again.…
Visiting Wag Team Carolyn and Pippa visit Mrs Carole C in North Shields
Mrs C lives on her own after losing her husband over ten years ago. She has had lots of challenging health issues in the last year or so, including many hospital stays and visits, which have been difficult to manage, and they have really left their mark. She’s very close to her daughter and lives close…
Gareth and Lola visit Mr Bill S in Darlington
Bill was first referred to us in 2020 when he lived alone in his own home. Having lost his wife and then his much-loved dog, he was spending a lot of time on his own, and he was really keen to have a dog in his life again. When asked what his dog breed preference…
Natasha and Reiver visit Mrs Sylvia W in Newcastle
Mrs Sylvia W has lived on her own in Newcastle since losing her husband. She was referred to us, having become exceptionally lonely and anxious since the pandemic and unable to attend activities in the community, which makes her feel really isolated. Sylvia and her late husband had dogs all their lives, but now having…
Visiting Wag Team Carolyn and Pippa visit Mr & Mrs T in North Tyneside
Mr & Mrs T live in North Tyneside, and Neil was referred to us by Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) in February this year. For health reasons, he’s become unable to access the community himself now as he always used to, and they can no longer have a dog of their…