We’re delighted to welcome Cara and Scout to the Spread a Smile team.
Scout is a 5-year-old female cockapoo and our newest recruit to our team of therapy dogs, making regular visits to children in hospital with owner, Cara. Cara told us a little bit more about Scout and her journey to becoming a therapy dog with Spread a Smile.
“Scout is very intelligent and lots of fun, but most importantly a friendly, calm dog. I think she makes a great therapy dog as she absolutely adores people and loves getting cuddles – she can never have too many! She’d make an absolutely terrible guard dog, though.
“I’m a children’s writer and spend a lot of time visiting schools with Scout to read my stories. Scout has also been working as a registered ‘Pets as Therapy’ dog for 3 years, going into a local primary school to read with the children. A few people mentioned to me what an asset she would be as a hospital dog, so this is something I started considering. In addition, I am a mum of three girls, including one who was sadly stillborn, I feel a real affinity with parents who are going through very difficult times. When I read about Spread a Smile in a magazine, I realised it would be the perfect organisation for us to get involved with.”
“To become a therapy dog, Scout was assessed by Pets as Therapy in 2022 and she passed with flying colours. Since joining the Spread a Smile team, we’ve been in to visit children and young people in hospital, and it’s been a great first introduction to the charity and the important work they do. We met some children in the playroom first, and then went to individual beds on the ward. The children and their parents were really happy to see Scout and she brought a lot of smiles to their faces.
“Even though it was a very different to her usual surroundings, Scout was perfectly comfortable in hospital and took all the strange equipment, busy corridors and noises in her stride. It was lovely seeing the children visibly relax in her presence and enjoy a moment of calm between medical procedures. I think Scout is always so insistent on attention and love, that she brings people out of their present worries and gives them something else to focus on, even just for a short time. She particularly loved having her fur brushed.
“Just like on my school visits, we always take time to introduce ourselves and take things very gently. Scout seems to know which side of her personality to bring out depending on the child – so sometimes she gives excited with tail-waggy greetings, and at other times she simply curls up for a quiet pat. When encouraged, Scout loves showing off a few of her tricks (only ‘sit’, ‘paw’ and ‘lie down’ – but she performs them very diligently!) and being given her favourite treat – cubes of mature cheddar cheese – as a reward.
“I have been able to bring copies of my rhyming picture book, Finding Floss, along with me on hospital visits and hand them out to children, along with stickers. This ties in perfectly with Scout’s visits, as the book is about a loveable cockapoo. Storytelling is something I have always been passionate about and most of my stories contain a huge dollop of silliness and absurdity – I love seeing children get the giggles, especially when they’ve been feeling sad or worried. Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.
“I am hoping to do some book readings and story sessions with Spread a Smile in the future. I have more books due to come out – more silly animal capers – so would love to read these too.
“I’d heard about therapy dogs in hospitals, but hadn’t, until recently, heard of Spread a Smile. What is immediately impressive, is the sheer amount of hard work and organisation that goes in to coordinating the visits, and the amount of people that help to make it happen. I have also enjoyed meeting other Spread a Smile entertainers on my visits – from magicians, to singers, to balloon artists. They are all so talented and I’ve loved seeing children, from tiny babies to teenagers, light up in their presence. Both Scout and I are really looking forward to what lies ahead on our journey with Spread a Smile.”
Please donate to help ensure we can continue to fund our therapy dog visits for children and young people in hospital. Thank you.
