Skip to main content
  • Need help now?
  • Book Online
  • Donate
Lort Smith logo Lort Smith logo
Lort Smith logo

Home / Our stories / Sue & Charlie

Lort Smith is mindful not only of the animals’ wellbeing, but also of the volunteer
Share

Pet Therapy

We believe in and promote the benefits of the human-animal bond which goes beyond companionship. This bond refers to the strong positive interaction that exists between humans and animals – the special cohesive relationship that enhances human quality of life and has the power to heal.

Learn more

Sue and Charlie have been volunteering with the Lort Smith Pet Therapy Program since 2015. Charlie is a 10-year-old chocolate border collie.

“He has exceptional skills in scrounging free love from anybody by sitting next to them and leaning in to the person’s leg until he gets a pat, and he can hear a biscuit packet being opened at 100 paces,” laughs Sue.

Sue is a part-time radiographer at Sunshine Hospital. She realised Charlie would make a great pet therapy dog after seeing her poorly father’s face light up when Charlie came to visit.

“Charlie would sit patiently next to him, and my dad would stroke his head saying ‘I like dogs.’ It was around this time that Sunshine Hospital asked if anybody had a suitable dog and would be interested in joining the program. I knew Charlie would be perfect,” shared Sue.

Together, Charlie and Sue visit the palliative care and secure dementia wards. Sadly, there is a relatively rapid turnover of patients in these areas, so they don’t always get much continuity of patients. Often Sue and Charlie find themselves spending time with family of patients who are needing a distraction or a friendly face not attached to the process of dying.

“In palliative care, a mother was lying semi-comatose in her bed, her two daughters were sitting beside her. When we entered, the daughters were so excited. They told me that they loved animals, and this came from their mother who would always take in stray animals when they were young. They wished their mum was awake to see Charlie as they once had a border collie. One daughter took her mum’s hand and put it down to touch Charlie’s head, hoping for a response. Charlie looked up and licked the mum’s hand. ‘Oh Mum, he is giving you a kiss’ said one daughter, and we all dissolved in tears,” shares Sue.

Sue thinks Lort Smith does a great job with its volunteer induction, assessment and ongoing support. And helped her see beyond the rose coloured glasses.

“Lort Smith is mindful not only of the animals’ wellbeing, but also of the volunteer. The pet therapy mentoring program, of which I am a mentor, is a new addition since we began. I hope that my honest personal accounts and support has been useful to the mentees assigned to me,” says Sue.

Sue believes volunteering fills two important purposes; the ability for many organisations to even exist is reliant on people donating their time e.g. sporting clubs, scouting; and for personal fulfilment.

“I feel selfish sometimes because I get so much back from the volunteer experience. It is a chance to help somebody – whether it be physical or just to bring a smile. I think you develop as a person by witnessing situations and interacting in different ways from your normal lifestyle,” says Sue.

Thank you Sue and Charlie for providing such an important service to not only patients, but sometimes more importantly, to families coming to terms with the ailing health of their most loved ones.

Previous story
Next story
Hiro
Volunteers
Ayla
Success Stories
Betty Bok
Tails of Lort Smith
Spencer Ronald
Success Stories
Janet & Trieste
Tails of Lort Smith

Stay Updated

To receive our newsletters and hear the latest from Lort Smith.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Lort Smith

To-the-minute updates and announcements.

Lort Smith acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which Lort Smith stands, and pays our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Lort Smith Logo
  • Lort Smith Animal Hospital
    North Melbourne
    Emergency Hospital  | Clinic
  • 24 Villiers Street
    North Melbourne VIC 3051
  • 03 9328 3021
    info@lortsmith.com
  • ABN 87 004 238 475
  • Lort Smith Campbellfield
    Clinic | Adoption Centre | Dog Park
  • 25-35 Berwick Road
    Campbellfield VIC 3061
  • 03 9328 3021
    campbellfield@lortsmith.com
  • 03 9287 6426 (Adoption Centre)
    adoptions@lortsmith.com
  • Donations & Fundraising
    03 9287 6419
  • Bequests
    03 9287 6417
    bequests@lortsmith.com
  • Volunteering
    03 9287 6424
  • Media enquiries
    03 7037 2256
  • Lort Smith © 2022
  • |
  • Site map
  • |
  • Privacy Policy
Grindstone Creative Logo

Thank you for your feedback. If you have indicated that you would like a response, we will endeavour to provide one within 48 hours.