Paula Xiberras
Anne Crawford the author of ‘Ralf’ has spent a fair bit of time in Tasmania. She admits she hasn’t been everywhere in the state but lists the south west as a place she has visited a few times and loves it, favourite experiences include Wine Glass Bay , MONA (which she has been to twice with girlfriends) and camping with friends in Tasmania.
Oh and Anne is also a landowner in Flinders Island and considers it ‘one of the most beautiful places on earth’.
Anne tells me that when Ralf, himself a Tassie born, therapy dog was working at Trinity Manor residential home she remembers one couple, who perhaps had difficulties with memory, did hold one memory firm and that was that Ralf visited every Wednesday morning.
Ralf has the incredible ability to switch into working mode when required and his love and affection for children is well known and was one of the things I discussed with his owner Caroline. Anne who has written books on the relationship between animals and humans tells me that the relationship between people and animals including horses, who people with anger issues have been responsive to.
Anne says that Caroline, Ralf’s owner doesn’t view Ralf and his daughter Ivy as like her children but instead calls them her ‘besties’.
Anne says that Ralf is cheerful, smart and not easily overly excited, good attributes for a therapy dog. You can read more about Ralf and how he was trained to be a therapy dog in my chat with his owner Caroline
http://oldtt.pixelkey.biz/index.php?/weblog/books/sweet-caroline-and-counciller/
An example of Ralf’s therapeutic ability is how he helped Zeke Harrison, a patient at the Royal Children’s Hospital. The photo of Zeke walking around the children’s hospital halls with Ralf made international news.
‘Ralf’ published by Allen and Unwin is out now.
