Unwelcome before, but now Rosie comes to the rescue

Cambridge Resthaven village co-ordinator Lorraine Hargreaves and her doe-eyed therapy dog, Rosie.

A brown-eyed dog with a heart of gold and a troubled past has become a treasured therapy dog at Cambridge Resthaven.

Rosie is a bit of a canine all-sorts. Her owner and village co-ordinator Lorraine Hargreaves is uncertain of Rosie’s lineage but says the little dog’s beguiling personality has won over both residents and staff at the retirement village.

What makes that surprising is the fact Rosie almost certainly had a bad start in life. Lorraine said she came to live with her family about eight years ago, having been dumped in Ngāruawāhia and almost hit by passing traffic.

“One of my niece’s friends picked her up. She advertised everywhere at the time to find her owners, but no-one came forward. We were looking for a dog at the time, so we took her in,” said Lorraine.

“For the first six months, Rosie would shake and be physically sick whenever she was in the car. She wouldn’t eat in front of us for months … we eventually worked out that we had to give her a pat and say she could eat. We still have to do that with her.”

Rosie is sensitive to raised voices, gunshots and brooms, and Lorraine said when she is folding the washing, Rosie goes and hides.

“To us it’s obvious that she has been mistreated in her earlier life. Even after having her for eight years, she won’t go too far away from me … we think she fears being dumped again.”

Rosie has made a remarkable transformation from rescue dog with a past to a much-loved Resthaven therapy dog. She happily does the regular visiting rounds with Lorraine and is welcomed by most residents and their pets, and if anyone visiting Lorraine’s office is up for a ball game, she’s all in.

“If a resident doesn’t want her to come inside their home, Rosie just sits and waits for me on the doorstep. It is entirely their choice.”

Lorraine came to Resthaven nine-and-a-half years ago, bringing with her a love of working in healthcare sector, particularly with the elderly. She moved through various areas of the operation and went on to qualify in diversional therapy as well as add courses in computing and business to her skillset.

More recently, she has worked closely with Age Concern in handling referrals and monitoring its visiting service. Towards the end of last year, she was asked if she would fill in as village co-ordinator for three months following the departure of her predecessor, and earlier this year was offered the job on a permanent basis.

“I am in my element,” Lorraine said. “I was thrilled when they offered me the job. Being able to have Rosie here is an added bonus … not just for me, but for her and all the residents who love her to bits.”