CHANGING lives is all in a day's work for a team of four-legged therapists who well deserve to be called man's best friend.

More than 30 canine companions from across mid Cheshire visit care homes, hospices, prisons, hospitals and schools in their work for the charity Pets As Therapy (PAT).

Cynthia Mills, from Northwich, is the PAT area co-ordinator for mid Cheshire and volunteers with her Pyrenean sheepdog Pussel.

"I wanted to do it for a long long time but, although I've always had dogs, I've never had one with the correct temperament," she said.

"The dogs know where we're going when we put the PAT T-shirts on and teach themselves – Pussel pulls me around on his lead to particular bedrooms in a care home and if the people aren't there you can see him think 'oh, they must be in the lounge'.

"All breeds can do it and it's just nice to share your dog, show them off and for those snippets you get every now and then when you help someone."

It was a story of transformation that inspired Diane Redshaw, who owns Josh, a Great Dane, to volunteer around three years ago.

"I used to work in physio and I saw a little girl who needed extensive physio and wouldn't have anything to do with intervention from people." she said.

"Someone thought to bring a PAT dog into hospital and within a week she was almost better.

"She was literally going downhill because she needed to trigger her brain.

"The right side was the problem so they brought the dog to her right side – her initial thought was that she wanted to reach out and stroke the dog, eventually this kick-started her brain.

"It was the dog that gave her the will to carry on and I thought I've got to do that."

Margaret Wilding, whose samoyed Kahlea was one of six finalists in the 2015 PAT Dog of the Year competition at Crufts, has witnessed plenty of success during 30 years as a PAT volunteer.

"There was one lady at a home in Winsford who hadn't spoken for three years and she started talking," she said.

"There was also a man with dementia and you could see his eyes light up when the dog came in, like a light coming on, and for his wife it was like her husband had come back for those moments.

"There was a little boy, aged five, who was terrified of dogs because he was frightened by a rottweiler when he was three, but within 10 minutes he was stroking the dog - there are so many people we've helped."

Allison Cole volunteers with her Havenese Hattie at St Luke's Hospice, in Winsford.

"I got involved because a friend was going to St Luke's for treatment," she said.

"She came to my house afterwards, Hattie was on the sofa with her and she was just stroking her and said 'this is so therapeutic' and it went from there.

"It's just very rewarding and nice to do something with your dog."

It was wirehaired pointer Bill showed his owner Gillian Sharp the way to PAT when she was in need herself.

She said: "I heard about PAT years ago but it was only when I was convalescing after I had an injury that I realised how patient he was with me.

"I usually see him running in the woods but saw a different side to him.

"While I was convalescing I needed something to focus on and this worked out perfectly."

One of the group's most recent recruits is Amy Peters, who volunteered with her labradoodle Mutley around two months ago.

She is swimming the Channel as part of a six-strong team at the end of August and hopes to raise money for PAT.

She plans to start volunteering properly when she returns in September.

Another of the many volunteers in the mid Cheshire area is Geraint Jones, whose guide dog Arwyn is a PAT dog.

"I retired about two years ago and I thought I wanted something to keep me busy so decided I would have a go at PAT dogs.

"I had to contact Guide Dogs to ask if it was OK , they said it was and we go around two homes in Warrington.

"Someone goes around with me and tells me the people are smiling – I really enjoy it."

Around 5,000 PAT dogs and 100 PAT cats visit different places across the UK with 150,000 patients benefitting from a visit each week.

Animals, who are family pets and do not have any special training, have to be fit and healthy, of sound and steady temperament and fully vaccinated.

There is a waiting list of establishments in Cheshire who would like a PAT visit.

Anyone who feels their pet could be suitable should ring Cynthia Mills on 01606 74792 or visit petsastherapy.org