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When I was accepted by the Cinnamon Trust, I was delighted to find that I had been matched with the lady and the dog I had read about in the newspaper.
I had been thoroughly vetted by the Trust and been given references by two people who knew me well. By doing this the Trust ensure that the people using the service can feel safe in the knowledge that they can trust the volunteer who walks their animal and confident they can allow them in their home.
Donna is a cross Staffie/Jack Russell and is about ten years old. Apparently she was found as a very young dog tied up in a black bin bag.
Her owner Lilian is a lovely lady who was born with a very rare bone disease which meant that she has been in and out of hospital all her life. She has a greater knowledge of the disease than most of the doctors and often has students visit her so that she can tell them about the type of treatments she has had over the years and how things has changed.
Before I started walking Donna she was very overweight and totally anti-social. She did not like people and attacked any dog that came close to her. I discovered that she had never been walked off the leash and guessed that this could be part of the problem. A dog that is leashed and approached by another dog which is running free can feel very insecure and unable to defend itself, so I started to let her loose and after she had rushed at other dogs and been told off by them, she began to play and certain dogs that we see in the park on a regular basis became her friends. Two of her best friends are Spike and Henry who chase her round the park and the three of them have a game of hide and seek. Donna is also much more approachable by the other dog owners and even allows them to pat her occasionally.
I walk her every weekday and another dogwalker walks her weekends. She has now become quite fit and as she is on a special diet has lost a little weight. While she will never be Twiggy, she certainly looks and acts a much happier dog.
At the moment she is unwell and has been diagnosed with a liver problem but hopefully we will get this sorted out and we will both continue to enjoy our time together.
The Cinnamon Trust is always looking for volunteers especially in the North Tyneside area and this is a very worthwhile job which will bring both owner and walker lots of rewards.
You can learn more about the Trust by telephoning 01736 757900 or write The Cinnamon Trust, Foundry House, Foundry Square,Hayle TR27 4HE.
You can also e-mail me at shep@shields01.freeserve.co.uk. for further information or if you would like to tell me about yourself or your pets, feel free!
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Copyright Irene Keith 2001