Marion is an 84-year-old retired head teacher who lives by herself. Her main companions were her dogs Pippin and Bella, but they sadly passed away, leaving her bereft. She found Our Special Friends through her friend, who had visits from a volunteer at the charity who would come along with her cat.
Marion got in touch with Our Special Friends, explaining how much she missed her dogs and how lonely she felt, and they were quick to match her to a volunteer and her dog Lottie. Marion now receives weekly visits from the pair, who have both become her firm friends.
She told us that having a visit from Lottie is the ‘joy’ of having a dog, without the responsibility.
“When I knew that I could have a dog coming to visit, that was just wonderful. It was the highlight of my week. It was somebody to love again. It meant everything to me. It made me feel well, I suppose. I put my arms around them. It’s just a feeling of completeness again.”
Global’s Make Some Noise will fund an ‘Animal Companionship Project’ at Our Special Friends for one year, supporting people like Marion, experiencing vulnerabilities including illness or loneliness.
