Walking with Therapy Dogs - the simple pleasure with a wide range of benefits

31 Hyd 2022

We are thrilled to be able to tell you about our latest partnership with Cariad Pet Therapy, offering gentle social wellbeing walks for people with therapy dogs at Barry Sidings Park in Pontypridd. An award winning, not-for-profit Community Interest Company who formed in 2018, they define pet therapy as "a partnership between a consenting therapy dog and its compassionate owner to improve the wellness of themselves and others through human-animal engagements."

Stroking a therapy dog can greatly reduce your stress levels, with both humans and animals benefiting from a release of the feel good hormone oxcytocin, which has a positive impact on feelings of anxiety and stress. This Outdoor Health activity connects people with nature and each other, with the added therapeutic benefit of walking with dogs. It's a pretty powerful combination!
 
Our Project officer Alex Bowen said: 
 
“We know that spending time in nature is good for our physical and mental wellbeing and studies have also shown that being with dogs can reduce feelings of isolation and stress and lower blood pressure. This project offers a great opportunity for people to come along, meet others and relax while walking with lovely dogs in this beautiful local park.”  

Find out more about these free sessions, which begin on November 3rd, here.
 
This project is part of the Outdoor Health Project in Rhondda Cynon Taf and is funded through ENRaW (Enabling Natural Resources and Wellbeing) which supports health, community and social care professionals to increase referrals into green social prescribing.

To find out more about Social Prescribing to Outdoor Health and Wellbeing in RCT visit: Outdoor Health 
 
To find out more about this project and other Outdoor Health opportunities in Rhondda Cynon Taf, contact Alex: 

[email protected]   m 07458 130615