Residents at the award-winning Little Bramingham Farm, the Luton-based residential care home run by charity, Friends of the Elderly, are celebrating this year’s National Pet Month, talking about their new furry, four-legged visitor – the ‘fur-bulous’ Toffee.
Toffee, who will be five-years-old in May, is a cute Cavapoo – which is a cross of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Poodle who, together with her owner, Shirley Walsh, has been visiting the residents at Little Bramingham Farm since December last year.
“The residents adore dogs and have missed seeing our regular canine visitor, Winnie the Pooch who, along with her human, has moved out of the area. So knowing how much the residents enjoy visits from all types of animals – furry, feathered, fluffy and even scaley – when Shirley asked if she could bring Toffee into visit the residents, we ‘barked’ at the opportunity and now Toffee is a new addition to The Little Bramingham Farm family,” said Emma Lawrance, the Registered Manager at the care home.
“Toffee loves being loved and is happiest when she’s the centre of attention”
“A while ago, I was out with Toffee on one of our daily strolls when I bumped into a lady we knew – I say we as Toffee knows her too,” continued Shirley. “We got chatting and she asked me if I would consider taking Toffee to visit the residents as she regularly visits one of her relatives at Little Bramingham Farm but sadly her own dog is too nervous to go with her.
“I thought it would be a great thing to do, so we met with a qualified Pet Therapy Assessor to make sure Toffee was suitable, and she passed with flying colours. I wasted no time in ringing Emma and now Toffee has a wonderful time, spending time with the residents every other Monday.”
“Toffee started visiting Little Bramingham Farm back in December 2025 and now is a ‘fur-m’ fixture on our wide and varied activities calendar,” added Karen Charity, the Activities Coordinator at the care home. “Toffee’s regular visits come with some powerful health benefits for the residents as spending time with her helps to boost their Oxytocin levels which helps reduce anxiety and promotes a sense of calm. Also, interacting with Toffee also helps to improve the residents’ mobility, flexibility and even giving cuddles helps with motor skills.”
Toffee now has her visiting routine down ‘Pat’. When she first arrives, she heads straight to the lounge where she enjoys meeting everyone and having lots of cuddles and fussing. Then, for those who are unable to come to the lounge, it’s off to see residents in their bedrooms for more love and affection. “Toffee loves being loved and is happiest when she’s the centre of attention,” continued Shirley; “Which she certainly is when she’s at Little Bramingham Farm.”
“Toffee’s favourite toy is her ball, although she doesn’t run after it in the park and she is keen on all doggie treats, but she’s especially fond of dried chicken strips,” added Shirley. “She is very clever and knows she’ll get a few sneaky treats whilst at the care home so she’s always very well behaved.”
“When she visits, Toffee is really attuned to the residents and their emotions,” added Karen. “Through interacting with each one, Toffee helps to reduce any anxieties, encourages exercise and helps to lower blood pressure and heart rates as well as improving mental wellbeing and supporting physical activity, which is absolutely ‘paw-fect’ for everyone.
“Seeing the smiles, hearing the laughter, and feeling the additional comfort that Toffee brings to the residents is wonderful,” continued Emma. “She’s more than just a visitor; she’s a mini companion to everyone and a definite mood-lifter. The residents often talk about their own dogs they had growing up or with their families, so Toffee’s visits also act as a great reminiscing experience as well.”
“Toffee loves all the residents; she sees them as her friends and it’s wonderful to see everyone smiling when they meet her. However, I do think she has a soft spot for Karen though, as I’ve been trying to teach her a few tricks, but so far, she’ll only give her paw to Karen – not even me!” concluded Shirley.
This is a guest post by Little Bramingham Farm. Want to write for us? Visit www.dogstodaymagazine.co.uk/essay-submission or email editorial@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk.
