Sonya’s wealth of skills and experience assists OSF

OSF volunteers have diverse backgrounds, each contributing to a rich pool of skills and experience. Since joining the charity, Sonya Harris has been able to apply her valuable experience as a social worker to one of the most complex and long-term cases ever taken on.  All while working a 3-4 day week in her profession and, for OSF, carrying out assessments on client needs.

Sonya, who lives in Newmarket, joined after coming across OSF at a Christmas Fair in Bury St Edmunds in 2017. She had been planning to do volunteer work and, as an animal lover, the prospect of AAA (Animal-Assisted Activity) with her Lurcher, Oscar, appealed. Instead, Bin Johnston, founder and CEO of the charity and a practitioner, suggested that becoming an assessor would make better use of Sonya’s much-welcomed experience. Her paid work involves visiting children who are not living with their birth parents – other relatives, foster carers or adoptive parents.

The OSF role involves visiting referred clients in their own homes to identify their needs, ensure the property is suitable for a volunteer and dog to visit, and then matching both parties.

Sonya and her dog, OSCAR

One of Sonya’s first fostered dogs was Rosie, whom she looked after for a few weeks while the owner, Brenda, was in hospital. The lady was a hoarder, and when the state of her house was discovered, a very matted Rosie was found. Sonya then took the dog to groomers every eight weeks as the owner did not recover well enough to do so. In the meantime, the house was cleared of clutter.

As fostering Rosie had worked well, the dog welcomed by Oscar, and Sonya’s husband, daughter and son, Sonya did not hesitate to foster Fred, a Shih Tzu.  It was 2020, when he was owned and much-loved by Helen, a lady with complex mental health problems, including alcoholism, and that had led to short custodial sentences. It was to be the beginning of a complex, challenging relationship with both the client and the dog that was to last more than five years and require continuous liaison with various mental health and other professionals.

Sonya and her family took Fred in for short stays then eventually for a year when Helen received a longer sentence. On her return home, Helen was not stable enough to look after Fred permanently, so he initially spent weekdays with Sonya, and weekends with Helen.  This required Fred to make many journeys between their respective homes.

When Fred was first fostered, he was traumatised, very cautious of Sonya’s husband and son, and not house-trained. He also suffered from separation anxiety and followed Sonya everywhere.

In addition, throughout the relationship, Helen made such demands on both volunteer and the charity that boundaries had to be put in place.  There were

Sonya, Helen and FRED sharing a special moment

many times when Sonya had to meet with OSF and Helen’s professional carers at Newmarket to address different issues.

The shared caring proved stressful for Fred, too, so Helen eventually allowed Sonya to foster him permanently once assured she would still see him regularly.  With the calm Oscar as a role model and canine companion, Fred quickly became house-trained, enjoyed holidays with the family in their camper van (starting with his first-ever visit to the beach) and had a new lease of life. He died in March 2025 aged about 15, with Sonya, Helen, and Bin beside him.

“Helen is very grateful for all that we have done for her and Fred,” said Sonya. “But my whole family got involved, and he became part of the household.  And I was never alone with the problems we encountered. I am very grateful to OSF for the support provided as we tackled very complex issues together.”

Balancing Sonya’s professional and volunteer challenges are her other interests, which including singing in a choir, reading and going on holiday with the camper van.