EMOTIONAL RESCUE

When we joined a gaggle of excited Wellingtonians (the regulars at this activity) on a crisp Wednesday afternoon, we didn’t know quite what to expect... We were preparing to pay a visit to a group of individuals who are infamous for their noisiness, their difficult pasts, and their love of human contact. It was strangely exhilarating to be about to meet beings so different from those we usually spent our Wednesday afternoons with at school.

Our destination was Binfield Dogs Rescue, home to a motley assortment of pups in need of care. Established in 1966, the local shelter’s work with vulnerable animals is vital to the county. Despite our own love of dogs, we confess we were still (shamefully) apprehensive about how the dogs would respond to new visitors. On arrival, we were overwhelmed by a cacophony of howling as the dogs leapt at the walls of their enclosures, desperate to get in on the action. Although (slightly) quieter ourselves, we were equally curious: many of these dogs, confined for their aggression or nervousness after years of previous abuse, would rarely be walked without the help of Wellington students.

Sadly, we were to learn that even the puppies at the shelter were not too young to have avoided mistreatment and abandonment. By walking them, not only were we giving the pack a much-needed run around, we were also restoring their trust in humans. This slowly rehabilitates the dogs to become more adaptable – and therefore more adoptable. And so, with us students chin-wagging and with the canines tail-wagging, we set off for an stroll in the Bracknell countryside, really touched by the knowledge that we were making the dogs’ day.

Wellington’s relationship with man’s best friends extends further than the Binfield Dog Rescue, too. As an antidote to homesickness and exam anxiety, the Mallinson Library hosts dog therapy sessions, where students missing their four-legged friends can relax in the company of the College pups. And it was true that, after an outing with the Binfield Dogs, we felt we’d been rejuvenated by the fresh air and the boisterous company. As is so often the case with homo-canine relationships, this Global Citizenship activity is a definitive case of ‘you scratch my back, I’ll put my muddy paws on yours.’

RESPONSIBILITY