A new therapy dog, Tiny Tilly the Cavapoo, has begun visiting patients and staff at Northwick Park Hospital, melting hearts with her presence. The dog's visits were initiated by Dr Sajini Wijetilleka, a consultant at the Acute Medical Unit (AMU).
"She loves coming into hospital and patients really enjoy interacting with her," stated Dr Wijetilleka. She explained that Tilly underwent specific training with Pets as Therapy (PAT) before being allowed into the hospital environment.
Dr Wijetilleka, who works at both Ealing and Northwick Park hospitals, was inspired by previous positive experiences with therapy dogs. "We used to have bi-weekly visits by PAT dogs in my previous job and people loved it. I decided once I had a dog it would be nice to bring them into Ealing and Northwick Park hospitals where is now work," she said.
The four-year-old Cavapoo has her own Instagram page, @doctortilly, and is following in the footsteps of her mother, Roo, who is also a registered PAT dog.
