Our Christmas Appeal 2025 is inspired by the extraordinary impact of Annie, a Yorkshire Terrier whose calm, gentle presence is transforming lives.

Annie and her owner Charles Rae are one of the many PAT Teams making a difference every day in hospices, hospitals, care homes, classrooms, universities and community settings. Their story reflects the growing need for therapy dog visits across the UK and the importance of public support this Christmas.

Annie began volunteering at the Ayrshire Hospice in 2023, shortly after passing her PAT assessment. A dog behaviourist spotted Annie’s naturally steady temperament during scent-work classes and suggested Annie would make the perfect PAT Dog.

For Charles, volunteering at the hospice fulfilled a decades-long ambition. He had visited more than 40 years ago as a young BT engineer and always hoped to return to support their vital work.

Now visiting every two weeks, Annie instinctively adapts to each patient she meets. Some gently rest a hand on her in silence while others share stories of pets they once loved.

Donate and make a difference

Annie also volunteers at a small Scottish primary school of around 70 pupils, where she takes part in Read2Dogs sessions. In a cosy converted caretaker’s house-turned-library, she curls up beside children as they practise reading, helping them build confidence through her quiet, reassuring presence, sometimes even nodding off as they read to her!

Beyond education and hospice care, Annie is now a familiar face at universities, student wellbeing weeks, fresher’s fairs, exam-stress events, emergency-services conferences and charity days. She has even been backstage at the OVO Hydro to meet performers, including Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and has appeared in a Channel 5 news feature showcasing PAT’s work in Scotland.

Donate and make a difference

For Charles, volunteering with PAT has become “a purpose” after years spent caring for his mother, who Annie instinctively comforted toward the end of her life. Now, he says, he feels “privileged to be welcomed into people’s lives at such meaningful moments,” whether supporting children at school or patients in their final days.

Demand for PAT visits continues to rise across the UK especially in hospices, hospitals and schools, but we urgently need more volunteers and donations to meet the need.

This Christmas, the charity is inviting people to donate to help expand services and support more PAT Teams, to fundraise and to consider volunteering with their dog.

Photographer: AMD Studios