Alfie Dog is a hit at Kanangra
Kanangra residents Irene Mantel, Alan Adams and Anne Haines enjoy the company of Alfie Dog, who visits with clinical care coordinator Vik Salter. Photo supplied.
Early mornings are a time of big anticipation at Kanangra aged care home in Deloraine.
That’s when residents are craning their necks towards the carpark to see if Alfie Dog has arrived.
If he walks in with Kanangra’s clinical care coordinator, Vik Salter, it’s smiles all round. If Vik has a meeting at the hospital and can’t bring Alf, there’s a smidge of disappointment.
‘He brightens my day,’ said resident Anne Haines. ‘I love patting and hugging and talking to him.
‘He’s not here every day but I check when Vik arrives to see if Alfie is getting out of the car.’
Alan Adams finds Alf relaxing to be around.
‘I see him every day he’s here,’ the former farmer said. ‘I used to have border collies on my dairy farm.’
Alf is a kelpie cross cattle dog, two years old. Amazingly serene for such a young dog, he’s a calm presence in any room at Kanangra. And a magnet for its residents.
Irene Mantle, who came to Tasmania from the UK aged 80 to be with her UTAS lecturer daughter, claims Alfie can ‘read’ people.
He’s certainly perceptive enough to know when a resident doesn’t like dogs, staying away from them.
According to Vik, Alfie has visited aged care residences with her since he was six months old.
‘At Meercroft Care [in Devonport], if anyone was sick he’d lie down beside them so they could pat him,’ she said.
Vik quotes a study showing that people who patted a dog over time had lower blood pressure.
But Kanangra residents don’t think about that. They simply enjoy being around Alfie Dog.
