Karen Clark-Dickson said starting her organisation Therapy Dogs NSW was something she feels she was always meant to do.

The social worker said her interest in dog therapy started during university, but then, there was a twist of fate four years ago.

READ ALSO:

"Rosie was my first therapy dog and she kind of just wandered into our house, she was homeless and had no where to go so we took her in and I was just looking at her one day and thought we could be a therapy team," Ms Clark-Dickson said.

Therapy Dogs NSW is a local service where owners are taught how to be handlers, and have their precious pooches examined, trained and accredited as therapy dogs.

Ms Clark-Dickson said anyone from social workers, psychologists, physiotherapists, teachers or doctors could train their dog and bring joy to the community.

She worked at Tamworth hospital previously, and said she'd seen for herself the light a visit from a four-legged friend could bring.

"We went into the rehab area one time and this lady had had a stroke and she'd been really struggling mentally and when I took one of my dogs in there, she smiled for the first time in two months," she said.

"It brightens their spirits, it gives them something to look forward to and I cannot tell you how valuable it is for staff as well."

Ms Clark-Dickson takes Rosie and her other therapy dog Tilly to work at Aware Family Wellness, and said she noticed a gap in services available locally.

"There has been an increasing interest in therapy dogs across the country but there was no option for people who lived in regional NSW," she said.

Post-COVID plans include starting a volunteer program to get back into hospitals and nursing homes. For more information, visit Therapy Dogs NSW website.

Want more local news? Subscribe to the Leader to read it here first

Have your say. Click this link to send a letter to the editor