Dogs Trust Loughborough's Birthday week continued....

Continuing our series of behind the scenes stories during our birthday week, today meet Pete and find out about the role of maintenance operative plus discover more about our hydrotherapy suite and the work undertaken by Carol our hydro and physiotherapist. 

Local man Pete was originally employed by the site contractors and helped build the centre.  He applied for one of the two maintenance operative roles and started in April last year.  The role is hugely varied but has overall responsibility for maintaining the buildings and grounds.

Pete says he cannot describe a typical day as “no one day is never the same!”.  The centre may be brand new but Pete and his colleague Adam are kept busy cutting the grass of our 13 acre site, building various items for fundraising activities and maintaining our fleet of vehicles.

The best thing about his role Pete says is “everyday is an adventure, from fixing a broken door to going in the puppy block so the new born pups can hear a male voice – I never know what will happen next!”.

 

Carols role as Veterinary Hydro/Physiotherapist is a brand new role and a first for the organisation.  Carol joined us at Dogs Trust Loughborough on the 2nd April 2013.  Below she tells us about herself and the work she undertakes in the centre.

“Prior to working for the Dogs Trust I had completed a BSc in Bioveterinary Science followed by a PhD studying the adaptation and injuries in racing Greyhounds at the University of Liverpool, and finally I gained my Advanced Certificate in Veterinary Physiotherapy via Canine and Equine Physiotherapy Training (CEPT). I then worked for almost two years as a managing therapist within an established small animal hydrotherapy and rehabilitation centre in Hampshire.

My role at Dogs Trust involves creating treatment programmes for individual dogs referred by the centre’s veterinary surgeon as well as devising environmental enrichment programmes for longer term residents at the centre. These programmes can involve hydrotherapy (via our hydrotherapy treadmill) and physiotherapy (e.g. massage, stretches, passive and active exercises).

  

When dogs are re-homed I am there to provide ongoing therapy for those dogs that require it and I am there to educate new owners on the benefits of canine massage, active and passive exercises so they are able to continue their dogs’ rehabilitation at home. 

Bryn having physio

Mr Darcy in the Hydro Pool

In addition to providing physiotherapy treatment, I am responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the hydrotherapy room and the hydrotherapy treadmill. This involves tasks such as general cleaning of the room and treadmill, cleaning filters, and ensuring the water quality is correct.

Watch the video below to see some of our lovely dogs having physio and exercising in the hydro pool!

On a typical day I start by checking the quality of the water in the storage tank, recording and adjusting the chemical levels as required, and then I carry out maintenance checks on the hydrotherapy treadmill including checking and cleaning filters as required. Once the room is ready the days physiotherapy/hydrotherapy appointments can begin. I usually see between 2 and 5 dogs each day. Appointments last between 30 and 60 minutes, and involve hydrotherapy, physiotherapy or a combination of both depending on the individual requirements of each dog. In between each use of the hydrotherapy treadmill I carry out checks on the water quality and the filters. Then at the end of the day I carry out general cleaning and maintenance of the hydrotherapy room, treadmill and any other equipment used.

The best thing about my role here at Dogs Trust Loughborough is the opportunity to help improve the lives of those dogs living long term at the centre as well as being able to rehabilitate dogs with orthopaedic conditions and help get them re-homed faster.”

Birthday Donations:

If you would like to make a Birthday donation to Loughborough, they have a handy Wish list which you can see/buy from here: http://amzn.to/11a49mc