Cuddles, Treats and a Little Bit of Pippa Magic at Cherry Court

Today we had such a lovely visit to Cherry Court with Pippa, and honestly, I think it is fair to say she won a few hearts.

Actually, scratch that. She won the room.

From the minute we arrived, Pippa was in her element. She took the admiration, cuddles and treats in exactly the way you would expect — with quiet dignity, excellent manners, and just enough charm to make everyone fall a little bit in love with her.

We spent some time talking about how Hope’s Therapy Dogs began, which is always a real privilege to share, and also what it takes to train a therapy dog. People often imagine it is simply a case of having a lovely dog who likes people, but it is so much more than that. Therapy work takes the right temperament, careful training, consistency, patience and, most importantly, a dog who genuinely has that calm, gentle, intuitive way about them.

Pippa is all of those things and more.

She has that very special quality that cannot be forced — the ability to read a room, tune in to people and seem to know exactly when to move in for a cuddle and when just quietly sitting beside someone is enough. It is one of the reasons she is so very good at what she does, and today she showed it beautifully.

There were treats given with great enthusiasm, plenty of cuddles, lots of smiles and some lovely games too. The residents were absolutely delightful and so engaged. It was one of those visits that just felt easy, warm and full of joy.

One resident said she would “never forget Pippa,” which was such a special thing to hear. Others commented on how incredibly well trained she was, but also on her empathy — how she seemed to know just how to comfort and when.

That, for me, is always the bit that matters most.

Because this work is never just about bringing a dog into a room for a fuss — although Pippa would fully support that as a concept. It is about connection. It is about comfort, companionship, laughter and those little moments that leave a real mark on people’s day.

We came away feeling so grateful for the warm welcome we were given. Pippa came away, I suspect, feeling that Cherry Court had finally recognised the level of star quality she has been bringing to the table all along.

And honestly… she may have a point.

We had a really lovely day and very much hope we will be back again.