We meet the charity that takes dogs to befriend older dog lovers in their homes – and find out how you can get involved with Wag & Co

Ever since she can remember, Diane Morton has always had a strong love for dogs. It started from the moment she met her aunt’s poodle when she was just four years old, and that feeling has remained ever-present throughout her life.

However, it wasn’t until her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s that she truly realised the transformative effect that our furry friends can have.

“All of a sudden, I got my dad back. He couldn’t remember how to hold a sandwich or use a comb, the very normal things he had done throughout his life,” said Diane. “But with a dog, he knew Harry by name and automatically stroked his head and fiddled with his ears in a way he had always done. It’s almost like it bypasses the diseased brain.”

This personal experience inspired Diane to set up WAG and Company in 2016. The charity is the only visiting dog charity befriending older dog lovers in their own homes as well as in care or in hospitals across the North East of England.

Since starting the charity in 2016, Diane and her WAG family have helped change the lives of many patients through something as simple as bringing a dog to those in need.

She remarks how dogs have a therapeutic benefit for those suffering from degenerative brain diseases like dementia.

 “It’s the simple act of being there for people with dementia. We had a lady who hadn’t spoken for four months and on our first visit when the dog walked into the room, she said, “Hello Max, have you been to the park?” Her daughter burst into tears because she hadn’t heard her Mum speak since November and once she started speaking, she didn’t stop,” said Diane.

It is estimated that 51,000 pensioners in the North East are chronically lonely and they are 50% more likely to die prematurely than people with good social networks.

Therefore, the services that WAG & Co provides with their army of volunteers are invaluable for the quality of life of elderly patients.

“There’s such a benefit to having something to look forward to, having real friends – often they are buying bowls and dog blankets, and they feel like the dog is part of their family coming to visit them,” said Diane. “It’s a relationship with the dog, and it’s not like a wave of the paw and a transactional pat on the head. It’s looking forward to the dog coming.”

COVID was a tough time for everyone, especially for those in the health service dealing with elderly patients.

WAG & Co found it incredibly difficult because they had given elderly patients a new lease of life with burgeoning friendships and a sense of purpose and routine. However, that was taken away from the elderly when restrictions were put in place.

“We carried on for as long as possible for those who were very ill. We followed the rules, so once we had to stop completely, we had keeping-in-touch plans so everyone was in touch with a volunteer, but it’s difficult because some people have memory issues. They couldn’t use devices, and it was limited to the phone,” said Diane.

She added: “The benefit of the interaction with us is that the dog reminds you who you are, it reminds you who the volunteer is, so if you have memory issues, you are immediately reconnected, and you have so much to talk about because you both have a lifetime of dog-owning memories to share. The moment you don’t have visual or touch that is very difficult.”

When Diane first started WAG & Co, she initially didn’t receive any funding so relied heavily on donations or money raised from fundraising events.

The first fundraising event that the charity ever held was ‘Walk for WAG’, which has now become a staple of their calendar and an integral part of their DNA.

WAG & Co will descend upon Derwent Reservoir for the first time on Saturday, 14th September 2024.

The sponsored walk is a beautiful opportunity for the WAG family to get together and walk 8-kilometre and raise money for a good cause. There is also a 3-kilometre (1.86 miles) walk where a shorter distance would be more appropriate for you and your children or your dogs.

WAG & Co have countless stories about how their work has positively impacted the quality of life of elderly dog lovers across the North East. They have a strong “family” of just under 400 volunteers, with hundreds more on the waiting list and so far have helped over 2,000 people.

Diane remains as passionate about the charity as the day she started and has ambitious future plans to expand to North Yorkshire and beyond to spread the joy of dogs to those unable to experience it.

One way that she would be able to expand is by increasing the volunteer pool. Alongside having a lovely dog, Diane remarks that there are some key traits that are common among her group of volunteers.

“The most important trait for our volunteers is kindness. They need to love people, be ready for a chat and want to do something nice. Honestly, I’m absolutely bowled over by some of the things that our volunteers are doing – they’re so much more than just a visitor.

“They are taking cakes and meals and taking people out for coffee and taking them to the shop to buy something personal because they can’t ask a young grandchild to do that. They have to be thoughtful and kind and, obviously, have a lovely dog,” said Diane.

FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED

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