At Little Bramingham Farm, our Luton-based residential care home, the resident’s adorable Pets As Therapy dog, Winnie The Pooch, enjoyed an amazing ‘Yappy Birthday Paw-ty’ to celebrate her 4th Birthday.
Winnie, a loveable Blue Roan coated Cockapoo, is a qualified Pets As Therapy (PAT) Dog and spends every Monday morning with the Little Bramingham Farm residents enjoying plenty of cuddles, performing tricks and playing games – and always having lots of fun.
To celebrate her 4th Birthday, Little Bramingham Farm’s Activities Coordinator, Karen Charity, arranged for Winnie to have a ‘woofi-ful’ birthday party with all her care home friends. “Winnie has been visiting the residents each week for nearly three years and is a much-loved member of the Little Bramingham Farm family.
“The residents thoroughly look forward to Winnie’s weekly visit and always remind me not to forget her birthday or anniversary. To mark Winnie’s 4th Birthday the residents wanted to make sure her day was as extra special, so I wasted no time in getting the ‘paw-fect paw-ty’ planned,” said Karen.
When Winnie arrived on her special day, her first stop was Little Bramingham Farm’s Lounge. The Lounge was full of Winnie’s care home friends who thoroughly enjoyed watching her open her presents. Martin Rodker, Winnie’s Owner said: “Both Winnie and I were totally surprised and over the moon with how much effort the residents put into spoiling Winnie on her birthday. She definitely was one lucky Pooch.”
Winnie wasted no time in sniffing out her birthday gifts and handmade cards. “The residents wanted to make Winnie some personalised birthday cards to show just how much she means to them and how much they look forward to and enjoy her weekly visits,” added Emma Lawrance, Little Bramingham Farm’s Registered Manager. “The residents designed their individual cards and wrote their own meaningful messages to the Birthday Girl. Each one was totally unique and ‘paw-some’.”
Winnie’s presents included a ‘woofi-ful’ box of themed dog biscuits and her very own beautiful toy Unicorn. “Winnie has perfected her nose balancing trick and as a birthday treat for the residents, she wanted to show off her skills,” continued Karen. “Winnie sat very still and Martin balanced a biscuit on her nose. When he said ‘go on then’, Winnie cleverly and quickly flipped it up and into her mouth. She made sure everyone got to see how clever she was, as she did the trick twice to get two birthday treats.” Martin added: “The birthday biscuits were only small, so she didn’t over indulge too much.”
However, Winnie’s birthday celebrations did stop there. After the ‘paw’ty’ in the Lounge, she was off on her weekly one-to-one visits around the care home. “Winnie likes to make sure that nobody misses out on seeing her,” continued Karen. “She knows her route and routine and really enjoys seeing all the residents and having their full undivided attention, love and affection.”
“Winnie is a Pets As Therapy (PAT) Dog, not an Assistance Dog,” added Martin. “As a PAT Dog, Winnie’s role is to bring therapeutic benefits to those she visits. By interacting with Little Bramingham Farm’s residents each week, Winnie can improve a person’s mood, help them to reminisce about their much loved pets and lift spirits. As the saying goes, ‘Love is a four-legged word’.”
Talking of the benefits to Little Bramingham Farm residents, Emma continued: “The residents really love Winnie’s weekly visits. She makes them smile and makes them happy. When Winnie enters a room, you can feel the atmosphere get even more cheerful and buoyant; she lights up each room she enters.”
“Both Winnie and I were totally caught off guard by the surprise ‘paw-ty’, it was so kind of everyone at Little Bramingham Farm to spoil Winnie on her birthday. She definitely ‘raised the woof’ and celebrated with all her care home ‘fur-ends’,” concluded Martin.
Find out more about Little Bramingham Farm care home by calling 01582 582 433 or emailing enquiries@fote.org.uk.