The voting took place on the Pets As Therapy, Shaws and Your Dog stands and the winner was announced on the Pets As Therapy stand by Pam St. Clement (EastEnders).

The winner was Chester a Cross Golden Retriever owned by Eileen Slattery from The Wirral.

The Runners up were – Mole a Crossbreed owned by Hilary Woodhead from Northwick, Cheshire and Finn a Bearded Collie owned by Colin Skeeping from Esher in Surrey.


Chester a Golden Retriever X Collie
Chester loves to have fun wherever he goes however when he puts on his yellow Pets As Therapy coat he knows that there is something extra special he has to do.
He visits Clatterbridge Hospital. Some patients looked very worried prior to going to ‘theatre’ however Chester stands and waves his paw at them, which always makes them smile and feel better. We always make new friends, some only for a day, but others for much longer because some have to stay on the ward for quite a long time. Chester had a big ‘thank you’ from a man who came all the way from Canada to visit his mother. He told the Ward Sister that his mum talked about Chester the PAT dog all the time and that he was pleased that Chester made her very happy. Recently Chester was asked to go to visit ‘grandad’ who had woken up and spotted Chester across the ward. Chester gave ‘grandad’ one of his ‘nose nuzzles’ and ‘grandad’ held Chester’s head in his hand for a long time, just managing to rub his ear. Sadly ‘grandad’ died that night and Chester’s owner never knew who he was but she say’s that she carries his memory with her a lot and that it makes the Pets As Therapy visiting worth while. Chester also had fun recently at a sponsored dog walk in Birkenhead and loves going to other events. Chester – a perfect PAT dog.

Mole a Border Collie X Old English Sheepdog
Mole was born in 2002 when it was discovered that he is completely blind. He has an amazing personality and was given the chance to live a normal life.
His owner had an older dog who taught Mole how to do things like get into and out of the car. They became constant companions. Mole is a tactile dog and likes nothing better than a cuddle. In February 2004 he was assessed to become a PAT dog and passed the tests with flying colours. He visits at Gleavewood House where he is welcomed by staff and residents alike. He has made some residents smile for the first time in a long period. Many residents, like Mole are registered blind themselves and so there has been an immediate empathy between residents and dog. His visits are looked forward to and he is missed when he cannot go.
Mole has a unique talent; that of changing people’s attitudes to dogs without sight. Without this gift, he would not be alive today let alone making a very special contribution to the lives of people around him.
 

Finn a Bearded Collie
When he was young Finn trained for obedience and agility, doing well in both fields. However the week before he was due to compete at the ‘Horse of the Year’ Show in agility, he was hit by a car and had his front left leg badly broken. Although he made a full recovery his owner decided not to risk doing agility again and to fill the gap registered him as a PAT dog. For 5 years now he has been a regular visitor at The Princess Alice Hospice where his loving and friendly nature has given pleasure and joy to many. He then also started to visit the Elmbridge Community Link, a charity devoted to adults with learning difficulties where he was adopted as their mascot. When one lady at the hospice died her sister wrote to say how much Finn’s visits had meant and how much joy Finn had given her sister in her last days. Finn was invited to her funeral where he was given Pride of Place with the immediate family. Finn has also appeared in Bad Girls, Midsomer Murders, Vanishing Man, Down to Earth and Casualty as well as a T.V. show called Back to Reality. He has also played the part of Sandy in the musical Annie and is currently rehearsing for his next stage show.