Every year the Red Cross Children’s Hospital has an Easter Parade. This was to be my first experience of it and I wasn’t sure what to expect when Stan phoned to invite me. Stan is my mentor and he and his dog, Benji, have visited the hospital for the last 4 years. Benji is small, black, and curly and a real little character – the children and staff love him. Mishka is a miniature white poodle who dances and does tricks for the children.

Poppet, my small, white Maltese Poodle, and I arrived early to find that Stan, Benji and Mishka were already there. My first impression was one of chaos with everyone everywhere and no one where they should be. The band was standing under a tree practicing, there were balloons everywhere, supermarket trolleys with one giant Easter egg and lots of small ones for the children, and clowns chasing one another around. Nearby was a very large tractor with trailers attached for the children to ride on. Parked nearby was a huge red fire engine and two pony traps, bright and shiny with leather seats.

Two Disney type characters, the Easter Bunny and the Oros Man, towered over everyone else, creating lots of excitement. Hospital staff in white T shirts, red shorts and black and white striped socks were dancing in the street while we waited. Then the tractor driver arrived. He had a protruding set of buck teeth, big floppy white ears sticking through his Stetson hat and a fluffy white tail stuck on the back of his jeans.

Everyone had to line up behind the band and once the children were on the trailers, the band struck up and we were off, marching along to the music, right around the hospital grounds.  It was great fun and the clowns were running around chasing each other and hitting each other on the head with balloons. The excitement was infectious and it wasn’t long before Benji decided to join the chase. Renee, who is the school principal at the hospital, and who had Benji on a lead, ran behind him while the clowns pretended to be scared and tried to get away from him, much to the delight of the children who shrieked with laughter. They loved it and so did the children leaning out of the hospital windows to watch the passing parade. We waved at them and they waved back and tried to catch the balloons which were floating up past their windows.

After going round and round the circle in front of the hospital, we finally stopped at the front steps where a presentation took place and the Easter eggs were handed out. Children played with the bunnies and fluffy little yellow chicks. When Benji spotted the chicks and decided to have a closer look at them Stan decided it was time for us to leave – much to Benji’s disgust!

It was great fun – and great exposure for Pets As Therapy. Everyone thought the dogs with their PAT bandanas were very cute. I can’t wait for next year!        By Maureen Rawlings and Poppet

More Junior News...