Emotional support for modern life
Providing comfort, companionship, and a low, sustained growl that our clients find deeply reassuring. Since 2019.
Founded in 2019, Gentle Paws began with a simple belief: that everyone deserves access to the healing power of a therapy dog, regardless of breed prejudice, common sense, or the advice of literally every animal behaviourist we consulted.
We started with a single pitbull named Steve, who was described by his previous owner as "a lot." Steve is still with us. He has since been described by our insurance company as "a lot, but in writing, on official letterhead, in a document titled Notice of Policy Cancellation." We have appealed this decision. The appeal was denied. We have appealed the appeal. That is also being reviewed.
Following the success of our founding programme, we recognised that the therapeutic qualities we had identified — presence, intensity, the sort of eye contact that makes you re-evaluate your entire life — were shared by a number of breeds not typically associated with emotional support work. We have since expanded our team accordingly. Our current roster includes the American XL Bully, the American Pit Bull Terrier, the Cane Corso, the Dogo Argentino, the Presa Canario, and the Tosa Inu. We did not add a golden retriever. We are aware of the golden retriever. The golden retriever is not what we do.
Our four-step programme has been developed in consultation with licensed therapists, veterinary professionals, and one very brave postman.
We visit your home to assess suitability. The dog also assesses your home. For different reasons. The dog is assessing your home for structural weaknesses, comfortable furniture, and whether your bins are secure. We are assessing whether you're ready for emotional support. These assessments are conducted simultaneously.
We pair you with a dog whose energy, temperament, and body weight are appropriate for your emotional needs. This process takes into account your living situation, your therapy goals, and whether your home insurance covers Acts of Dog.
A 90-minute introductory session in a controlled environment. We bring the dog. We bring a handler. We bring a waiver. The waiver is comprehensive. The waiver mentions furniture, structural integrity, emotional attachment, and the specific possibility that the dog may decide it lives with you now.
Weekly sessions. Monthly check-ins. Occasional structural assessments of your furniture. We recommend a minimum of six sessions to see meaningful therapeutic benefit, or until you and your therapy dog have reached what we call "mutual acceptance," which is our term for the point at which neither of you is startled by the other one any more.
Each of our therapy dogs has been selected for their unique therapeutic qualities. These qualities include: being very large, being very present, and having an effect on people that we can only describe as "significant."
Tank is our most requested therapy dog. He weighs slightly more than a vending machine and has a head circumference that exceeds most species' entire skull. Despite his appearance, Tank is gentle. We want to be clear about this. Tank is gentle. Tank has never hurt anyone.
Tank has, however, sat on a client's sofa with such authority that the sofa is now a chair. The client did not mind. The client said it was "the most calming thing that's ever happened to me, because when a dog this big chooses to sit on your furniture, you stop thinking about your problems and start thinking about the furniture." We consider this a therapeutic breakthrough.
Mabel is, and we are not entirely comfortable admitting this, genuinely good at her job. We did not expect this. None of us expected this. Mabel was supposed to be the same as the others: too large, too intense, too much. Instead, Mabel appears to have actually understood the assignment. She sits beside clients at an appropriate distance. She makes calm, measured eye contact. She responds to distress by gently pressing her head against the client's hand. We have checked. She was not trained to do this. We do not know where she learned it.
The rest of the team find Mabel suspicious. Derek has described her behaviour as "unsettling, because it suggests competence, and competence in this context implies that the rest of us are doing it wrong." Priya has pointed out that Mabel may simply be a good therapy dog. This suggestion was not well received. We have discussed whether Mabel undermines the integrity of the programme by being effective. We have decided she does not. She does, however, make the rest of the team look bad, and she appears to know this.
Sergeant is the largest dog on our team. He is an Italian breed, which means he has opinions about food, and he expresses them at volume. Sergeant's approach to therapy is what we describe as "presence-based." He enters a room and you feel something. That something may be calm. That something may be a primal, ancestral awareness that you are in a room with an animal that your DNA remembers should not be in a room with you.
Sergeant does not judge either reaction. He simply is. He is quite a lot of "is." He is, in physical terms, like having a Fiat Panda in your living room, but the Fiat Panda can sense fear and has decided that it likes you, which is somehow worse.
Snowflake is white. This is perhaps the only thing about her that is soft. She was bred for big-game hunting in Argentina, which means she has the prey drive of a species that has never once considered the concept of "enough." Snowflake is beautiful. Snowflake is also the reason our premises have a specific insurance clause titled "The Snowflake Provision."
As a therapy dog, Snowflake specialises in helping clients who feel they have lost control of their lives. After ten minutes with Snowflake, who has also lost control of her life but in a way that involves destroying a throw cushion with surgical efficiency, clients report a renewed sense of perspective. "At least I'm not the cushion," one client told us. This is growth. We documented it.
Buddha is named after the spiritual teacher, which is appropriate because looking into his eyes is a profound spiritual experience. Specifically, it is the experience of realising that you are a small, fragile creature in a universe that contains a 50kg dog who can open doors with his face.
Buddha's therapeutic approach is stillness. He sits. He breathes. He takes up an extraordinary amount of space, both physically and emotionally. Clients have described sessions with Buddha as "transformative," "intense," and "the longest 90 minutes of my life, and I once watched my laptop update Windows." One client told us that Buddha taught her more about mindfulness in a single session than six months of guided meditation. Another client told us that Buddha taught him what it feels like to be perceived by something that does not need language to understand you. Both are correct.
Kevin is our newest addition and our largest dog. The Tosa Inu is a Japanese breed historically used for dog fighting, which is a fact we mention in our literature because transparency is one of our core values. Kevin does not fight. Kevin has never fought. What Kevin does is worse. Kevin waits. Kevin sits with a stillness that our handler Priya has described as "actively hostile to the concept of movement." Kevin will sit in a room and simply exist at you. He does not blink at a normal rate. He does not shift his weight. He does not acknowledge the passage of time. Three hours will pass and Kevin will be in the same position, looking at the same spot on the wall, and you will find yourself looking at the same spot on the wall, and you will not know why.
We did not train Kevin to do this. This is simply how Kevin is. We believe it may be cultural. The Tosa Inu was bred for silent combat in Japan, where making noise during a fight was considered dishonourable. Kevin has internalised this principle so thoroughly that he has extended it to all situations, including therapy sessions, car journeys, and a visit to a Tesco Express in Farnborough that resulted in management being called. Management asked Kevin to leave. Kevin looked at management. Management reconsidered.
Behind every good therapy dog is a human who is pretending they have everything under control.
Derek previously worked in human resources for fourteen years, which he describes as "excellent preparation for working with animals, because the underlying principles of conflict resolution are the same: remain calm, project authority, and never turn your back on something that could hurt you." Derek founded Gentle Paws after discovering that his pitbull, Steve, had a calming effect on his mother-in-law. "She stopped complaining," Derek explains. "She didn't say why. She just stopped coming round." Derek has since devoted his career to providing this experience to others on a commercial basis.
Priya joined after seven years at a conventional therapy dog charity, from which she departed over what she describes as "a fundamental philosophical disagreement about whether a Cane Corso constitutes a therapy-appropriate breed." Her former employer described the disagreement differently, as "Priya bringing a Cane Corso to the annual general meeting." Priya holds a BSc in Animal Behaviour from the University of Exeter and a certificate in Canine Hydrotherapy that she found in a drawer at a car boot sale. She is the only member of the team with a relevant qualification. She does not let the others forget this.
Known to everyone as "Big Dave," which distinguishes him from "Small Dave," who no longer works here and whose departure is not related to any incident and was not the result of a dog-related event and we would appreciate it if people stopped asking about it. Big Dave is the only handler whom all six dogs respect simultaneously. He attributes this to "energy." His colleagues attribute it to the fact that he is 6'4", weighs 120kg, and used to play prop forward for Swindon RFC until a knee injury ended his career and he transitioned into the significantly safer field of handling fighting dogs in confined spaces.
We take our responsibilities seriously. Below is a selection of our certifications, accreditations, and regulatory compliance documentation.
Registered. By us. To us. The registry is a Google Form. We are the only entry. It counts.
Coverage is comprehensive, pending the outcome of our appeal, which is pending the outcome of our appeal against the appeal being denied, which is ongoing.
Fully compliant with the Emotional Support Animals Act 2019. This act does not exist. If it did exist, we would be compliant with it. This is our position and we are maintaining it.
We have not been asked to cease operations. This is not the same as being approved. We choose to interpret their silence as a strong mandate to continue.
"I came to Gentle Paws with severe anxiety. After three sessions with Tank, my anxiety is completely manageable. This is because I now have a 58kg dog who follows me everywhere, and it's very difficult to be anxious about the future when you're focused on the present, and the present is a dog who could bench-press your car. I am not anxious. I am alert. This is different. I am told this is different."R.H., Cirencester — 12 sessions with Tank
"Mabel stared at me for the entire session. She didn't blink. Not once. I don't know what she saw, but after two hours, I felt… seen. Deeply, profoundly, uncomfortably seen. I have booked six more sessions. Mabel has not confirmed availability. I am choosing to interpret her silence as agreement."T.P., Dewsbury — 8 sessions with Mabel
"My therapist recommended I try animal-assisted therapy. I don't think this is what she meant. However, I will say that after spending 90 minutes in a room with Sergeant, I have not thought about my divorce once. I have mostly thought about Sergeant. I think about Sergeant at night. I think about Sergeant when I hear noises. I consider this a therapeutic success. My therapist does not. We are in disagreement about the definition of success."J.M., Nuneaton — 14 sessions with Sergeant
"Snowflake ate my slipper during our first session. During our second session, she ate the other slipper. I respect her commitment to symmetry. I have since bought new slippers, which I keep in a drawer. Snowflake knows about the drawer. I can tell she knows. This has been very helpful for my mindfulness practice, because I now live entirely in the present moment, which is the moment before Snowflake finds the drawer."D.W., Rotherham — 9 sessions with Snowflake
"Buddha opened my bedroom door, walked in, lay down on my bed, and stared at me for 45 minutes. I have never felt so calm. I have also never felt so unable to argue with the situation. Buddha is now on my bed three nights a week. The other four nights he is on the sofa. I sleep in the study. We have an arrangement. The arrangement was not discussed. It was simply understood."S.L., Richmond — 22 sessions with Buddha
"I had four sessions with Kevin. I cannot describe what happened during those sessions because I am not certain anything happened. Kevin sat in a corner. I sat on a chair. Three hours passed. I left. I felt better. I do not know why. I have booked four more sessions. I still do not know why."A.F., Bristol — 4 sessions with Kevin
We believe in complete transparency. Below is a record of notable incidents from the past 18 months. We are required by law to share none of this. We are choosing to share it because we believe in trust, and also because the local paper already knows about most of it.
Tank sat on a client's sofa during a home visit. The sofa was not designed to support 58kg of concentrated therapy. The sofa is now a chair. The client described this as "fine, actually, we were thinking of getting a new one anyway." We contributed £40 toward the new one. The new one cost £1,200. We consider our contribution proportionate to our involvement.
Kevin accompanied a handler to a Tesco Express in Farnborough. Kevin was not technically in the Tesco Express. Kevin's head was in the Tesco Express. The rest of Kevin was in the car park. A member of staff asked Kevin to leave. Kevin looked at the member of staff. The member of staff reconsidered. Management were called. Kevin was asked to leave in a more official capacity. Kevin left.
Sergeant interacted with a postman. The interaction was, by all accounts, peaceful. Sergeant sat. The postman stood. Neither moved for what witnesses described as "a very long time." The postman subsequently filed no complaint but has requested that Sergeant's sessions be scheduled at a different time from his route. We have accommodated this. Sergeant has not forgiven us. He looks out of the window at the time the postman would normally arrive. This is not aggression. This is remembrance.
Snowflake reorganised a client's living room during a session. The client was in the bathroom. Snowflake moved a bookshelf, two armchairs, and a side table into what she apparently considered a more optimal configuration. The client returned to find their living room rearranged with a precision that suggested either interior design talent or a fundamental misunderstanding of how rooms work. The client described the new layout as "actually better." A follow-up survey indicated the client's feng shui had improved by 40%.
Buddha opened a door. This would not normally be notable, except the door was locked, and Buddha opened it anyway, using only his face and what our handler described as "a kind of calm, patient, unstoppable force that I now understand is how Buddha approaches all obstacles." The door frame required repair. Buddha was not injured. Buddha did not appear to consider this an incident. Buddha opened the door because he wanted to see what was on the other side. What was on the other side was a cupboard. Buddha was satisfied. The landlord was not.
We held our first group therapy session featuring all six dogs simultaneously. We will not be doing this again. The room was not large enough. The dogs were not calm enough. The clients were not prepared enough. One client described it as "the most intense therapeutic experience of my life, and I once did an ayahuasca ceremony in Peru." Another client simply said "Kevin" and then was quiet for a very long time. We consider this feedback. We are processing it.
Yes. Our dogs have never injured a client. We want to be very clear about this. Our dogs have never injured a client. They have startled clients, overwhelmed clients, sat on clients' furniture in a way that reclassified it as a different category of furniture, and stared at clients with an intensity that one person described as "religious," but they have never caused physical harm. We consider this an excellent record.
We are aware of the golden retriever. We have considered the golden retriever. The golden retriever has been discussed at board level. The golden retriever was rejected on the basis that it is "not what we do." We do not elaborate on this further because we cannot. The feeling is instinctive. Golden retrievers are fine. Golden retrievers are not what we do. Next question.
Yes. In ways we are still trying to quantify. Our clients report reductions in anxiety, improved emotional regulation, and a renewed appreciation for the present moment. Several clients have also reported a newfound ability to remain calm in stressful situations, which they attribute to the fact that after spending 90 minutes with a 65kg Tosa Inu who is listening to your refrigerator, most other stressful situations seem manageable by comparison. We call this "perspective therapy." It was not planned. It emerged organically. Like the dogs themselves, it simply arrived and made itself at home.
This has not happened. We are not being glib. This has genuinely not happened. Our dogs appear to like everyone, which we appreciate you may find surprising given the breeds involved. The dogs do not share the prejudices that humans have projected onto them. The dogs are simply present. They are present with their whole selves. Their whole selves happen to be very large and very heavy, but they are present with kindness. We believe this is what matters. Also, if a dog doesn't like you, you will know, because the dog will tell you by leaving the room. This has also not happened. Not even with Kevin, and Kevin has very strong opinions about refrigerators.
No. Several clients have asked. One client did not ask and simply attempted to keep Tank, which was logistically difficult because Tank is 58kg and was not ready to leave. We retrieved Tank. The client retrieved their composure. We now include a specific clause in our contract that states: "The dog is not yours. The dog will leave. The dog may look at you as it leaves in a way that suggests it is also sad about this arrangement. This is not grounds for retention." We added this clause after the Tank situation. The Tank situation is its own paragraph in our legal documentation.
Yes. Our insurance is currently under review. Our insurance has been under review since 2021. The review is ongoing. We are confident it will be resolved in our favour. Our insurance provider has described us as "an actuarial challenge." We have chosen to take this as a compliment. In the event of an incident, we have a comprehensive claims process, a dedicated handler, and a savings account with £340 in it. We feel this is proportionate.
No. We have considered this at length and the answer is no. We are not going to elaborate on why because we feel the question contains its own answer, but if you require elaboration, please direct your attention to the 65kg Tosa Inu in the next room and ask yourself whether introducing a cat to that environment constitutes a responsible decision. We do not have anything against cats. Kevin does not have anything against cats. Kevin has never met a cat. We would like to keep it this way.
Steve is fine. Steve is Derek's dog and lives with Derek in Farnham. Steve is the dog who started all of this, and he has earned his retirement. Steve no longer does sessions. Steve spends his days sleeping on Derek's sofa, which is technically Derek's sofa but which Steve has claimed through the ancient canine principle of "I was here first and I am not moving." Steve occasionally attends staff meetings, where he sits in the best chair and is not asked to move. Steve has earned this. Steve has seen things. Steve was there at the beginning, when Gentle Paws was just a man, a dog, and a mother-in-law who stopped coming round. Steve remembers. Steve is fine.
If you would like to book a session, enquire about our services, or simply tell us about a dream you had about Kevin, please get in touch.
Unit 7, Firgrove Industrial Estate
Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 8YY
Please knock. Do not ring the doorbell. Sergeant considers the doorbell to be a personal challenge. The previous tenant was a printing company. They left because of the rent. Definitely the rent.
We aim to respond within 48 hours. If your email concerns Kevin, we aim to respond within 24 hours because we are curious about what you have to say.
+44 (0)1793 555 0183
Available Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. Outside these hours, the dogs are resting. We do not wake the dogs. You do not want to wake the dogs.