A therapy dog who assists a hospital chaplain in her ministry has been honoured with the BBC Countryfile Magazine’s Dog of the Year award.
Alfie assists Rachel Fielding, a deacon and chaplain at East Lancashire Training Hospitals' NHS Trust. He is the only therapy dog owned by an NHS trust and provides wellbeing support for both patients and staff all across the region.
The Diocese of Blackburn described Alfie’s role as “a vital extension of the chaplaincy team’s work” and said that he had even impressed the Prince and Princess of Wales when they visited the NHS trust in 2022.
While Alfie is currently the only therapy dog attached to the NHS, he was not the pioneer of such care. That distinction goes to Jasper, a therapy dog previously owned by another chaplain and counsellor, the Reverend David Anderson.
Anderson realised that Jasper was making a huge difference for those he counselled and convinced the hospital to add a therapy dog to its assets.
Fielding, speaking of Alfie and her work, said, “Encountering patients in hospital that often do not wish to engage is all in a day’s work as a chaplain, but with Alfie on hand a whole world opens up. I’m delighted the work he has been doing has been recognised by BBC Countryfile.”
She continued, “Patients who may be struggling with a diagnosis or disengagement will often welcome a wagging tail. As Alfie’s handler I always introduce myself as Chaplain and Therapy Dog Handler. This simple introduction enables worries to be heard, hurt to be expressed, beliefs to be voiced and connections to be made.”
Fielding added that such contacts can pave the way for people who have lost contact with the church to regain a spiritual connection and that she was able to bring the Christian faith into the community in a new way.
“Taking this another step, I also have other dogs which are now trained in basic therapy work and support two care homes in the parish where I am Curate. The power of simply being with a dog in this context is so powerful; a real gift," she said.
