Celebrating International Dog Day: Elsa Brings Comfort, Joy and Companionship as a Pets As Therapy Volunteer
As a nation of dog lovers, there’s no better time than International Dog Day (26 August) to celebrate the four-legged friends who make a real difference in our communities. Elsa, a 13-year-old Akita, Collie and Labrador mix, is one of hundreds of Pets As Therapy (PAT) Dogs bringing comfort, companionship and smiles to people who need it most, in hospitals and hospices to care homes, schools and community settings.
Elsa from Dorking, Surrey, visits a school, hospital and local mental health charity with owner Debs Taylor, who said: “Patients faces really light up when they see Elsa. She sprinkles sunshine in the ward for both patients and staff. Staff look forward to seeing her each week. I find that school students who are perhaps reluctant to engage with an adult, open up when they see Elsa and barriers are broken down.”
“Volunteering for Pets As Therapy gives me a sense that I am giving back to my community. I have fun and have amazing conversations with incredible people from all walks of life. Elsa enjoys it too, she’s a bit of a local celebrity! Shop keepers in town keep treats for her and people shout out her name as we walk down the high street.”
Founded in 1983, Pets As Therapy is a UK charity dedicated to enhancing health and wellbeing through animal companionship. With the help of volunteer pet owners and their temperament-assessed dogs and cats, the charity’s visits provide joy, reduce loneliness and support mental health.
The positive impact of Elsa and Debs’ visits are being recognised by the BBC Radio Surrey Make a Difference Awards 2025. Elsa and Debs will find out next month if they’re named as winners. On reaching the finals, Debs said: “It was an amazing surprise when I heard that Elsa had made the finals. It’s wonderful that animals are recognised for their unique capability to enhance the well-being of those they meet. I am so looking forward to meeting the other finalists and learning more about their stories.”
This International Dog Day, Pets As Therapy is calling for more volunteers and donations from Surrey to help bring the benefits of animal companionship to more people across the county.
For more information about becoming a volunteer or supporting Pets As Therapy, visit www.petsastherapy.org