London-based animal welfare charity, Mayhew help to combat mental illness with dog therapy initiative, TheraPaws.
At Mayhew, they know that companionship offered by an animal or pet goes a long way in reducing anxiety and stress and boosting mood. 
During Mental Health Awareness Week and all year round, their TheraPaws initiative raises awareness of the positive effects that interactions with a dog can have on a person or promotes a two-way process of respect and compassion between animal and humans.
Spending time with a dog is known to:
- Improve general wellbeing
- Invoke a sense of safety and security, and
- Offer reassurance to those struggling with their mental health and related conditions.
A spokesperson for Mayhew commented: “These are all benefits that our TheraPaws volunteers see first-hand during our ongoing visits to multiple venues in London. At the Lavender Walk, an acute inpatient mental health ward for adolescents, Francesca and her Portuguese Water Dog Tilly have been visiting young people for almost two months. The presence has already had a positive impact on the teenagers.”
TheraPaws volunteers also visit numerous other mental health care units and service providers across London, including the St Mungo’s Rapid Assessment Hub, St John’s Hospice, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, and the Stacey Street Nursing Home.
At St John’s Hospice, one patients’ mental health has seen a poignant difference from ThereaPaws volunteer Hugo the Havanese.
Even though she now lays comatose from an unrelated illness, the staff still ask for Hugo to sit by her bed. They are convinced that she knows Hugo is there and will be comforted by his presence.
Mayhew’s spokesperson added: “Currently, we have just over 60 teams of TheraPaws volunteers and their dogs, spreading happiness and comfort across 14 London boroughs. Regular visits from a therapy dog make a real difference to those suffering from loneliness, isolation and mental health problems, and we are determined to continue helping as many people as we can.”
To find out more about the type of locations that the Mayhew TheraPaws volunteers visit or to request a visit of your own, you can visit www.themayhew.org.
