Alex Cowie and Dalwhinnie

“More like a dog than a cat,” is how Alex describes her family’s much loved feline, Dalwhinnie. “She runs to greet us at the front door, comes when called, especially when there are biscuits on offer, and loves to curl up on the kids’ beds to listen to night-time stories,” says Alex, who is the mother of two active sons, Tristan (6) and Linden (3). Through the Community Visitors Scheme, Alex, accompanied by her boys, has been visiting a resident at Estia Nursing Home in Manly Vale for the past three years and there were fun and games recently when they took five-year-old Winnie, as she is mostly known, along to meet her for the first time. “She was pleased to meet our gorgeous cat but it was a bit chaotic,” says Alex, who lives in Balgowlah and who has been a lifelong volunteer, in recent times for Meals on Wheels and as a mentor for a university student. “Volunteering is so rewarding and I suppose the same thing could be said about having a pet. Winnie has taught my boys about care and consideration of others and she has certainly given them a love for all animals. She’s very much a member of the family.”

Denice Conyard, Tara and Millie

It was love at first sight when Millie met Tara. “I wasn’t sure how it would go when I took Millie, my chocolate Labrador, to the airport to meet the new addition to the family,” says Denice, owner of the two big, bouncy dogs. She didn’t need to worry.  Millie, now 11, and Tara, seven, who Denice fostered, then adopted through Labrador Rescue, bonded almost immediately and are still the best of canine chums and tolerant of the dogs that Denice continues to foster through the organisation. “In fact they are very good with the foster dogs. They seem to sense when a new dog just needs to be left alone to adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings,” says Denice, who has been a volunteer driver with community transport organisation Easylink for the past nine years, ferrying passengers to appointments and on social outings. Says Denice: “My dogs mean so much to me. They bring such joy and, perhaps surprisingly, a sense of calm. I live alone but with the dogs I never come back to an empty house. I have been volunteering for various organisations throughout my life and volunteering – and my dogs, of course – are among the things that make me happiest.” 

Judy Kelly and Jed

After a long corporate career, Judy found that volunteering helped smooth the transition from work to retirement. “I didn’t think much about my northern beaches community when I was working but when I retired I discovered that there were hundreds of volunteers out there doing wonderful things. I joined them and I have found that volunteering has helped fill the gap left when I gave up work.” Through Centacare’s Community Visitors Scheme, Judy, who lives at Church Point, is a regular visitor at Avalon House Nursing Home, accompanied by her miniature apricot poodle Jed. “He’s only a little dog but he walks through as if he owns the place and everyone stops to pat him. I believe that taking animals into nursing homes and hospitals is a great thing. They put a smile on everyone’s face and no doubt remind many of the residents of their own pets who they may have had to leave behind,” says Judy. And while Jed is very quiet and well-behaved when they visit the nursing home, according to Judy, there’s another side to him. “At home he’s the world’s best watchdog. He sits at the top of the steps to our house and if anyone approaches he puts on quite a performance. He’s a small dog but he’s got a very big bark.”  

Marianne Rudd and Enzo

Enzo may qualify as our youngest ever volunteer – the border collie was just 12 weeks old when he started visiting a resident at Wesley Heights Nursing Home in Manly with his owner Marianne through Lifeline’s Community Visitors Scheme. Four years later and the little bundle of fluff, who has grown into a large and handsome dog, still accompanies Marianne on her fortnightly visits to the same lady. “To be honest, it’s all about Enzo,” laughs Marianne, who lives in Fairlight, where Enzo is something of a canine celebrity.  “The lady I visit, who has Alzheimer’s disease, just adores him. She sits and cuddles him and I see such love on her face. And he seems to bring great joy not only to the lady we visit but to all the other residents that we pass in the corridors as well, who stop and pat him. I think maybe his presence triggers memories of their own pets from years gone by. I am glad that there seems to be growing acceptance of bringing animals into hospitals and nursing homes and the difference they can make to the elderly and unwell.”

Anne Holt and Dingo

It takes an Australian family with a wry sense of humour to name their Swiss-born-and-bred Bernese Mountain Dog Dingo. “We bought him as a pup in Switzerland, then lived in Indonesia and finally returned to Sydney, where he is totally at home,” says his owner Anne, who lives in Balgowlah with her two teenage sons. Weighing in at 45kg he’s a big dog but “all love”, says Anne, who has been visiting a Wesley Heights Manly resident for the past two years through Lifeline’s Community Visitors Scheme. “He’ll stand beside you and gently lean in hoping to get a pat or a cuddle and he loves to lie on people’s feet, which is good in cold weather,” laughs Anne. Dingo, age seven, is also the perfect height for the Wesley Heights residents to pat without having to bend down and he’s a familiar and hard-to-miss sight in the nursing home and also at North Harbour Reserve, where he takes a slow and stately walk most days. “This breed doesn’t need much exercise so although they are large they are an easy pet to own,” says Anne, who works as Lifeline Northern Beaches’ PR and fundraising officer. “But I must admit a dog this big does eat a lot!”

Ivan Demeny and Boris

Twenty-two years after helping to set up Manly Sailability, Ivan, now age 82, is still actively involved, introducing people all abilities to the joys of sailing on Sydney’s beautiful harbour. At least once a week, he, along with other members of the Sailability team, launch their Hansa 303s at Manly Yacht Club to instruct participants aged from three to 80 in the art of handling a small dinghy. Sailing is one of Ivan’s passions and another is his two-year-old staffy-kelpie cross Boris, who he acquired as a pup. Dogs are not allowed to live in Ivan’s Manly apartment so during the week Boris resides at Gwandalan on the shores of Lake Macquarie but every couple of weeks Ivan’s daughter, Beth, brings the dog for a visit. Boris can barely contain his excitement as he leaps from Beth’s car and races up the stairs to Ivan’s flat where for a few precious hours they get to romp on the lounge-room floor and go for walks. Although Boris is a big, bouncy dog he is always gentle with Ivan, taking food from him without nipping and never pulling too hard on the lead. They may not see each other every day but there’s no doubting their strong bond and, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. 

Julie MacDonald, Daisy and Rosco

With her jet black body and distinctive white bib it’s easy to see why Julie’s puss Daisy is what’s known as a “tuxedo” cat. Daisy, who has been top cat in Julie’s home for the past 12 years, has had to put up with a few unwelcome changes recently with the arrival of Rosco, who at just six months is a bundle of mischievous energy. “I’d forgotten how exhausting a kitten can be,” laughs Julie, who has been a volunteer receptionist at Manly Warringah Pittwater Community Aid in Narrabeen for two years and loves the interaction with clients and colleagues. The little white and ginger kitten ran up to Julie in the street, followed her home and now looks like being a permanent fixture, though Julie and Daisy are both hoping he’ll calm down soon. “I’ve always had cats and my home and my life would be quite empty without them. I always thought it was important for my children to have animals around as they grew up so that they would learn to be caring and gentle. One of my sons, who no longer lives at home, now has quite a menagerie – cats, dogs, fish, a duck and a parrot.” Daisy will be relieved to know that Julie has no plans to follow suit.

Ros and Jazz & Grace and Skye

The game of squash brought Grace and Ros together and shared passions for volunteering and Schnauzer dogs have sustained their deep friendship for more than 40 years. There’s always plenty to chat about when the pair get together at Anglicare’s Frenchs Forest day care centre on Tuesdays, where they ensure the elderly clients get refreshments, entertainment and outings, and on Fridays when they work together for Meals on Wheels. Grace, who lives at Cromer, is often accompanied by her gentle Giant Schnauzer Skye - “who at 40 kilos still thinks she’s a lapdog”. She also works at Uniting Church’s day care centre at Seaforth, while Ros, of Allambie Heights, the proud owner of Miniature Schnauzer Jazz and Standard Schnauzer Hope, has helped generations of new owners teach their canine companions to “sit” and “heel” by helping to run dog obedience classes for the Manly Kennel Club at Narrabeen’s Deep Creek. Both women are long time volunteers. Says Grace, a former schoolteacher, who has been a volunteer for more than 50 years, “I get so much out of it. I have to be busy and occupied.”  Ros and Grace agree that their volunteer roles, their dogs and most of all their enduring friendship has helped keep them active, happy and healthy over the years.

Carolyn Abercrombie and Stan

“Stan’s the man,” says Carolyn, proud owner of the handsome black-and-tan King Charles Cavalier cross who shares her Cromer home. “He was part of a litter of pups and when I saw his little face I thought ‘that’s the one’. I got him when he was just eight weeks old and he’s been a wonderful pet for the past four years.” Carolyn has worked as a volunteer in Community Aid’s telephone room in Narrabeen for the past 15 years, matching volunteer drivers and shoppers to the folk who contact the organisation in need of its services. “It’s been a very rewarding role,” says Carolyn, who is also a volunteer ethics teacher at a local primary school. Dogs have been an important part of her life for years and she has spent hours training rescue dogs, which were often hard to teach. “I decided I wanted to put those skills into a puppy and it has worked wonderfully with Stan. He’s a gorgeous dog, well behaved and great company.”

John Vanthoff and Rexie

Rexie, the beloved pet of John and his late wife Joan, didn’t have the best start in life. Explains John, who lives in Belrose: “We went to a dog rescue shelter and Joan had a list of about 15 dogs she wanted to meet. She immediately spotted this horrible, scruffy little dog shivering in a corner and knew he was the one.” After a clip, shampoo and some tender loving care the “scruffy little dog” revealed himself as a pure-bred German Spitz, with a fine fluffy tail, who goes everywhere with John, including on his Meals on Wheels round for the Benevolent Society, which operates out of North Narrabeen. “Joan and I did Meals on Wheels together and we secretly took Rexie along too. When Joan died I carried on with Meals on Wheels and Rexie is no longer a secret. Everyone accepts him and all the people we visit to drop off meals love to see him and pat him. Although he’s 12 now he’s still full of beans at home and he loves his three walks a day but when we are doing Meals on Wheels he’s quiet and very well-behaved. Our clients say that he really brightens their day,” says John. 

Lee Thomas and Bella

Bella is only a little dog but she has a big heart and seems to sense when people are sad or sick and in need of comfort, says her owner Lee of Bayview. So it was only natural that Bella, a 12-year-old poodle, would join Lee, who is a volunteer with HammondCare’s Northern Beaches Palliative Care Services, on her weekly walk with cancer sufferer Nancy. “When I moved to Mona Vale a year ago I didn’t know anyone and I was really lonely,” says Nancy, who has spent six difficult years in hospital and rehab. “Meeting Lee and Bella has made such a difference. Animals bring so much comfort to those who are sick or unhappy. In hospital patients see only the four walls that surround them but when dogs are brought in to visit it brings life and joy to us all.” Says Lee: “Bella is a friendly and loving little dog with a strong mothering instinct. Every night she goes to her toy box and chooses which of her “babies” to take to bed. In the morning, she carries them gently outdoors for a sunbake. If any of her squeaky toys make a noise she cries in distress. We both enjoy our walks around Pittwater with Nancy and it’s lovely to see the pleasure that she gets from a cuddle with her new friend Bella.”

Terry and Murphy

“I wouldn’t change a single thing about her,” says Terry, who is clearly besotted with his five-year-old sheltie Murphy. “She’s smart, beautiful and affectionate and has absolutely no interest in other dogs, though she does like people.” For three years Terry has been among the more than 100 volunteers who participate in the Community Connect Gardening program. Working in teams they help restore the sometimes neglected gardens of those for whom the task has become too much, including the frail aged and those with a disability living on the northern beaches. “I really enjoy it,” says Terry, who lives at Wheeler Heights, and who recently returned to part-time work in the aviation industry after a brief foray into retirement. “I like working in a team and I like the results of our labours. I’m always surprised that within a few hours we can make a real difference. I think as I  get older doing part-time paid work and few hours’ voluntary work each week is a pretty good balance.” After pruning bushes and pulling weeds Terry is always pleased to straighten his back and return home to an ecstatic welcome from Murphy. “Then it’s off for a walk,” he says.