Dog therapy aims to guide people through lockdown

Walk and Talk, from Moment to Paws, connects people to a qualified coach, specialising in animal assisted therapy, while encouraging them to embrace the therapeutic benefits of spending time with a dog outside.

Moment to Paws, which was founded in January 2020 ahead of the national lockdown, is the first company of it’s kind in Yorkshire to make dog therapy accessible to individuals both in and out of the workplace.

Kate Bolland, founder of Moment to Paws and a qualified NLP Practitioner said: “Our mission has always been to connect individuals with the positive influence dogs have on our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and with reports showing worrying trends with regards to mental health, I really wanted to create a service that is accessible to everyone during this challenging time.

“Spending time with dogs has been proven to reduce levels of stress and anxiety, while boosting the production of mood enhancing hormones including serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine.

“Combined with the benefits of getting out in the fresh air, Walk and Talk is helping people to regain focus and improve overall wellbeing.”

The service comes as reports show that more than half of adults and over two thirds of young people said their mental health got worse during lockdown.

And with tier 3 restrictions coming into force in South Yorkshire and the threat across the wider region looming, there is concern that these numbers could increase.

Kate added: “A recent report from Mind found that 1 in 3 adults and 1 in 4 young people did not access support during lockdown because they didn’t feel that they deserved it.

“Regardless of background or circumstances, we all go through things differently and I believe we all deserve to be listened to. Walk and Talk aims to turn this into a reality.”