Therapy dog to receive national award for supportive role in prisons including Buckley Hall

A therapy dog who visits Buckley Hall prison is being recognised with a special award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (ifaw) at the House of Lords.

Five-year-old English cocker spaniel, George, who works alongside owner Robbie Durgan, 58, from Skelmersdale, and shared handler Aimee Jones, 37, will be awarded in recognition of his work in prisons in the north west of England.

Over the last four and a half years, therapy dog, George, has visited prisons whereby his duties have included being read to as part of the Reading to Dogs scheme, and visiting unwell patients.

The Reading to Dogs scheme by Prison Education is designed to help men with low self-esteem learn to read, whereby George will sit next to them and listen patiently, giving prisoners the encouragement they need to progress.

With the more challenging prisoners at HMP Liverpool, a promise of a visit from George to the ‘Wellbeing’ wing to perform tricks and play games, acted as an incentive to maintain good behaviour.

George has also comforted and helped unwell prisoners at the prison’s inpatient facilities and worked with stroke patients, helping refine motor skills and improving mobility. At the same prison, George worked on with four cases of palliative care; when visiting dying patients, he could provide them and their families with cuddles, and in some cases, be there until the final moments. His owner also noticed that George would visibly grieve when each one passed and would need consolation.

While much of George’s time has been spent helping prisoners, he currently attends HMP Buckley Hall, operating in a well-being role for staff.

He also visits a local infant and nursery school in Warrington every month, where he does his ‘Paws to Read’ session with children aged four to eight.

As well as doing his usual ‘reading to dogs’ with them, he has also been working with a child who suffers from a sensory disorder, whereby the child communicates through touching George.

 

 

Robbie, a governor at Buckley Hall Prison, said: “George’s role is so often about listening to people read, and what makes him so special, is that he listens intently – without correction or judgement. His calming nature offers so much encouragement, bringing out a different side of people and nurturing positive behaviours. We are always told; he is a great listener. George is often the highlight of people’s days. He makes a big difference and touches many lives – I am so happy for him that his hard work has been recognised.”

James Sawyer, UK Director of ifaw, said: “When we heard about George, we were so impressed how just one dog, can do so much to help people from all walks of life improve their situation, within the local community. George truly is a remarkable dog, and his work with both Robbie and Aimee shows how animals can have a truly positive impact on people. George is a very worthy winner of ifaw’s Animal of the Year Award.”

George has been trained by his handlers, and then assessed to become a therapy dog through an accreditation scheme by Therapy Dogs Nationwide. This behavioural test looks specifically at attributes such as calmness, how much the dogs bark, and how much they pull on their lead.

Despite being such a busy dog, George also raises money supporting the charities, Rhodri Jones Memorial Appeal and Bone Cancer Research Trust by going on sponsored walks, and cheerleading when he’s unable to participate in the activity. When George is off duty, he enjoys going on walks, using his nose to guide his path, play with other dogs, camping, swimming and visiting the beach.

George will receive his award at ifaw’s prestigious Animal Action Awards event at the House of Lords on 18 October.