Doggies for health!

[Louise Pembroke]

The Wilby Campaign: Dogs and Mental Health update: cases studies wanted

The Wilby campaign aims to raise awareness of the value of companion dogs to
improve mental health in the UK, to gain support for the companion dogs for people with mental health problems to be accepted as assistance dogs and to increase the uptake of Direct Payments to improve independent living for people severely disabled by their mental health impairment. The campaign hasreceived good reviews and a number of case studies, which is available to view.

For further information on the campaign and to submit your stories, please
contact Christine McDonald at

NEST User Involvement Network, Ivan Peck House, I Russell Way, Widford,
Chelmsford, CM1 3AA



I know someone who has a mental health support dog, a beautiful spaniel

[Andrew MacLean]

Lou

I'll pass this to a friend who was talking the other evening about mental health support pets. Is it only dogs?

My friend has bi-polar disorder (I think this what I used to call 'manic depression'), but I had thought from what he was saying that all sorts of pets were used? It is, of course, entirely possible that I got the wrong end of the story.

Anyway, this looks promising. For some time now we have encouraged our homes for elderly people to have pets in the house. Dogs are very common, but I am not so sure about cats.

Andrew

[Louise Pembroke]

Any animal can be therapeutic for sure but I think it's only our 4 legged barking friends that can be formally registered because they can be trained