A PILOT project has been set up to encourage dog owners on Oxford's Blackbird Leys estate to use their pets to provide therapy for others.

The Pets as Therapy scheme will call on the community to volunteer with their dogs to help pupils at special needs school Mabel Prichard, residential care homes and at people's homes.

The charity's Oxford-branch chairwoman Anne Clilverd said an enthusiasm among the community to get involved led her to push for the project to happen.

She said: "I was in charge of the electoral roll for the area and when I was going around knocking on doors I kept dropping it in.

"There was a general interest among dog owners to get involved in the therapy side of things.

"We are looking for people who are perhaps unemployed or in between work as they can carry out visits during the day.

"I have taken my dogs to Mabel Prichard School for years and it occurred to me that it would be much better if someone locally, who could walk round to the school could help in the community."

National pet store chain Pets at Home have pledged to donate all the money made from 5p carrier bag charges over the next two years.

The donation will fund the scheme along with a home visiting service in the Scottish Highlands where the need for assisted therapy is most pressing.

The charity, whose local base is in Botley Road, Oxford, visit prisons, hospitals, hospices and care homes improving the lives of people suffering from debilitating mental and physical health conditions such as autism, dementia and strokes.

Their read2dogs scheme also helps children improve their confidence and learning ability.

The former community mental health nurse, whose two whippets Cesc and Henry carry out vital work across the city, wanted a more local approach in Blackbird Leys.

She said: "We thought a local initiative in the area would be a great thing.

"It should be dog owners in the area helping out others in the community, and volunteering can be very rewarding.

"Our work with Mabel Prichard School has great for the children there and we want to include its junior school in the pilot."

The project, which starts in September, will see volunteers trained in how to administer therapy with their pets through a series of workshops funded by the Pets at Home partnership.

Dogs' behaviour will also be assessed before they can join the scheme.

To get in touch about volunteering email Anne Clilverd on anne@petsastherapy.org