The residents at Friends Place, the state-of-the-art residential care home in Reading run by charity Friends of the Elderly, have had a ‘paw-some’ time celebrating this year’s National Dog Day with Chester, a cute Cavapoo Pets as Therapy (PAT) dog who regularly visits for them for hours of fun and joy.
“Chester is not only the care home’s furry, four-legged honorary care team member, but also a ‘bone-ified’ member the Friends Place family,” said Alina Gutu, the General Manager of the care home. “Chester’s visits are extremely popular with the residents, as they all adore him and love spending time with their ‘im-pawsibly’ loveable friend.”
“Chester has been visiting the residents at Friends Place since March this year,” continued Susan Pope, Chester’s owner. “The lovely residents, friendly staff and everyone at Friends Place make us both so feel welcome – Chester’s tail doesn’t stop wagging from the minute he trots through the doors until we’re on our way home.”
“Chester makes sure he spends lots of time with all the residents when he visits,” added Elisha Hall-Jones, the Activities Coordinator at Friends Place. “As soon as he arrives, and after he’s said ‘Hi’ any residents, visitors or care team members who happen to be in Reception, Chester heads straight to one of our beautiful and airy lounges to spend as much time as possible with the residents playing games, chasing his favourite toy – affectionately known as Squeaky Reindeer – around, having plenty of cuddles and getting his ears rubbed.
“Chester is such a kind and loving dog, he never misses anyone out when he visits; he always makes sure everyone gets their ‘Chester Time’. He’s our very own Sherlock ‘Bones’ as he’ll find any residents who are in their rooms and haven’t spent time with him in the lounge and give them all his love and undivided attention.”
“As a qualified Pets as Therapy dog, Chester is trained to visit places such as care homes, hospitals and schools to comfort groups of people, which is different to an Assistance Dog who is specifically trained to look after and perform precise tasks for a single individual with a disability,” continued Susan. “He’s very intelligent and has the residents wrapped around his paw, which he is very good at giving to ask for treats.”
Once Chester has made sure he’s visited absolutely everyone, he’ll settle down for a little rest whilst Susan catches up with the residents over a nice cup of tea. “It’s wonderful to see how Chester brightens the residents’ day, he loves each and every one of them. Karen Schiabello, who made Friends Place her home in November 2025, is particularly fond of Chester and will often chat to me and tell me stories about the dogs who have shared her life and adventures over the years, which are always wonderful to hear.”
“For the residents, spending time with Chester and interacting with him on a regular basis is very important as it can help to reduce stress and lower blood pressure,” continued Alina. “By playing ball or Squeaky Reindeer with him, it increases social interactions and is a wonderful and gentle activity for the residents to take part in and enjoy.
“Spending time petting and interacting with Chester releases ‘happy hormones’ as well. Oxytocin rises when an older person pets, cuddles, or makes eye contact with a dog, which also builds and promotes trust and affection. The release of Serotonin and Dopamine can boost moods, create feelings of pleasure, and give an overall sense of well-being, and Endorphins act as natural mood lifters and pain relievers.”
“Chester’s regular visits come with many ‘paws-itive’ health benefits for the residents as spending time with him helps reduce any anxiety and promotes a sense of calm. Also, by playing and interacting with Chester helps to improve the residents’ flexibility, mobility and motor skills,” added Elisha.
“When Chester visits, the residents usually come up with some ‘paw-some’ dog ‘tails’ and trivia,” continued Alina. “One resident said that dogs are ‘su-paw’ smart as the average dog is as clever as a two-year-old child and can understand over 150 words; and another resident told us all that a dog’s sense of smell is up to 100,000 times better than a human’s as it has up to 300 million scent receptors.”
“The fact that I will never ‘fur-get’ is that dogs only sweat through their paw pads and cool down by panting,” added Elisha. “As ever, the residents always ‘ast-hound’ us.”
“Seeing how much joy and happiness Chester brings to the residents, seeing their smiles and hearing the laughter during every visit is wonderful,” added Alina. “Chester is absolutely ‘fur-bulous’ and all the residents agree, he’s now a much-loved member of the Friends Place family.”
