AN URGENT appeal has gone out to find dog-lovers in Droitwich and the surrounding villages to help older people and the vulnerable look after their pets.
The Cinnamon Trust, a charity aimed at providing services to ensure that elderly residents can keep hold of their pets, has seen an influx of Spatans needing help.
And, because of the increase in the demand, has been the increase in demand, the organisation contacted The Standard to see if our readers could help with the increasingly demanding situation.
One Droitwich woman relies on the Cinnamon Trust for help with walking her eight-and-a-half-year-old English setter Barney.
She said it was three years ago when she began to struggle walking Barney and her son found The Cinnamon Trust on the Internet.
“The help and support they have given me has been amazing and it has done wonders for Barney.
“He was quite a tubby dog and not in the best of health, but now he is fit and very sociable – he loves other dogs and people.
“Barney is what I get up for each day – it’s great that he’s so healthy and happy.”
Barney’s owner currently has two dog walkers – one does three days a week and the other does four days a week, but she is having to give it up because of work commitments.
And, the Cinnamon Trust said, Barney’s owner was one of many people in Droitwich who were looking for help with their pets.
Currently, there are 12 dog owners who need walkers and just five volunteers.
And Patrick Williams, from Cinnamon Trust volunteer recruitment, said, in an ideal world, each owner would have three dog walkers which would help cover holidays and illness.
“The population is getting older and there is a lot in the news about how having a pet can keep you happy and healthy but that means, as they become less able to move about, more people need help walking their pets,” he said.
Appealing for volunteers to come forward, he added: “We always give people the choice to do as much or as little as they want to do – some of our walkers do it once a week, others five or seven times.”
Because it will involve going into elderly people’s homes, those wanting to become dog walkers need two character references from people who have known them for more than five years and one professional reference, for example from an employer or previous employer.
Visit http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/ for more information and a volunteer registration form.
