A WAGGING tail and wet nose brought smiles to patients at St Richard's Hospice during a special visit from a Pets as Therapy volunteer.

Anna Vickerman and her German shepherd dog Unity were making one of their regular visits to the hospice in Wildwood Drive, Worcester.

But the day was extra special as Anna received a donation for Pets as Therapy from Margaret Everton, Ann Trott and Jack Randall on behalf of Midland Counties Canine Society. Pets as Therapy has just launched a national appeal to raise funds to find, assess, place and provide ongoing support for volunteers to go into St Richard's and other hospices and hospitals in the country.

The Midland Counties donation will sponsor 20 new volunteers specifically for the Midlands region.

Jack Randall, Midland Counties Treasurer, said: "We are especially pleased to be providing this donation, because as a former governor of St Richard's I know the considerable pleasure that visits of Pets As Therapy trained dogs bring to patients helping them relax and adding to the homely atmosphere of the hospice."

Midland Counties Canine Society runs the annual national championship dog show at Stafford in October.

St Richard's moved into its new £5.25 million hospice at Wildwood Drive, Worcester, at the end of last year.

Fund-raisers are now hard at work generating the £3.2 million which needs to be raised this year to provide the ongoing specialist care and support for patients with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses and their families.