A longtime Club member is honouring his late wife by travelling with her second-best mate to brighten the lives of those in need.
After George Morrison lost wife Patricia to cancer last year, he vowed to repay the many people who had assisted them throughout their 20-year ordeal by emulating their kindness.
The Yagoona man successfully applied to the Delta Society's Purina Pet Partner Program, which prepares volunteers and their pet dogs to visit sick children and adults in hospitals, as well as the elderly and disabled residents of hospices.
George and Patricia's collie, Lassie, have made weekly visits to Smithfield's Nyora Gardens Aged Care Centre since January, where their presence has helped buoy spirits.
"People really relate well to animals," Nyora's Executive Care Manager Sue Smith said. "And you could see their faces light up when Lassie came in - it was beneficial."
With help from St George Leagues Club, George, an Englishman who immigrated to Australia in 1968, has raised over $4000 to assist the Pet Partners Program.
"You can see how the visits brighten them up," Mr Morrison said. "You get people who have got dementia and don't remember anything, but they remember the dog's name."
Lassie's half sister, Amy, is expected to soon join the pair on extra visits to children's hospitals after she is accepted into the Delta Society's Program.
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St George Leagues Club
LEAGUES CLUB JOURNAL
