ARNOLD the dog is on the front line of the coronavirus fight, bringing mischievous, morale-boosting cheer to residents of Mercy Health Bethlehem Home for the Aged.
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The two-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is among staff members' pets dropping by the home after COVID-19 restrictions made it impossible for other companion animals to visit.
Arnold took on his temporary role this year, but owner Lois Kirk said he was already well-known at Mercy Health.
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It all started when Arnold was, as the saying goes, as sick as a dog.
"When he was a pup he was very sick so we used to take him in to work in a little Esky so I could keep an eye on him," she said.
"The residents really got to know him."
One in particular came to call Arnold "her boy" and was so attached that the dog popped by for a visit on the resident's 100th birthday earlier this year.
Residents have lived under tighter social distancing restrictions throughout the virus.
A limited number of visitors have now been allowed into nursing homes under strict conditions, but their loved ones can still struggle.
"Residents can feel very isolated at the minute, so a visit from Arnold can be the highlight of their day," Ms Kirk said.
"Occasionally we even take a photo of him with the residents and send it to family members, so they can see that even in this hard time their loved ones are smiling."
Ms Kirk said that not only is Arnold cute, he is naughty, which only adds to his popularity.
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Tom O'Callaghan
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
I grew up in Bendigo and I want to tell your stories.
