Volunteers “Sonny and Shelley” Bring Joy to Residents at The Salvation Army’s Meighan Manor

Shelley Baker Herman and her red Labrador named ‘Sonny’ head down to The Salvation Army Isobel and Arthur Meighen Manor long-term care home in Toronto every Monday afternoon, to bring smiles to the residents.

Shelley, who recently retired, began volunteering her time with her 3-year-old Lab last November and enjoys bringing comfort and joy to residents in each of the units at the home.

“Most people love dogs, and they are so happy to see Sonny. When I arrive on the floor the residents smile, and I see their eyes sparkling. Some people say come over and some nod their heads. They love looking at him, patting him and it facilitates communications among the residents,” said Shelley.

“Once they start patting Sonny some residents will tell a story about dogs they had, or they nod their head, and you can see they are remembering and enjoying having him there.”

Sonny is a trained dog with a loving temperament and enjoys the experience just as much. “Dogs like having a job and being needed too. We stay about an hour until I see that Sonny is getting tired,” she said.

Shelley says having her dog there when new residents are first moving in can also be very helpful as a distraction and a way to relieve stress.

“A man was moving into the home and his kids were there sorting his things, hanging up clothes and moving furniture while their father was able to just focus on Sonny,” said Shelley.

Shelley says volunteering is something new for her, but pet therapy is always something she wanted to be involved in. “I love dogs and I was thinking how people in long-term care homes suffered a great deal through the COVID-19 pandemic. I thought this would be a good way to bring some joy to residents, so I responded to an advertisement for a therapy dog at Meighan Manor.”

Shelley says she gets a lot from volunteering too. “After my visit, I feel good that I made people happy and there are certain residents that really look forward to seeing Sonny, even for that one day they are moving in, or just for that 10 minutes with Sonny. I think this is great and it’s so worthwhile.”

To learn more about Meighen Manor long-term care please visit https://salvationarmy.ca/meighenhealth/.