The Maltese-cross pup is on permanent loan to Naroo by Geoff Johnson and Pat Carmody of Gwydir Park Refuge. The couple cover all the costs for the dog and he has become a permanent day-resident and companion for all the seniors living at Naroo.

Noodles spends the night with activities officer Chris Wood and her Dachshund-cross Diggety. Diggety has also come daily to Naroo, but he is too large for a lap or some of the fragile residents. 

Noodles’ placid nature and pocket-size makes him the ideal dog.

Last Wednesday afternoon, Noodles was comfortably nestled on Ivy Barnett’s lap and enjoyed the compliments and coos coming his way as residents came into the common room.

Chris has set a roster for the residents so everybody has time with the puppy. 

“There’s a chap down in his room that stays in his room. I always make sure I take him down and he sits on his bed. They just love him, all the residents,” Chris said.

“When he comes to me, he goes to sleep with me. I have a little lie down after breakfast, and he comes and lies down with me,” resident Susan Holmes said.

“They should have a dog in a home like this. I think it makes a difference because I’ve always had dogs, and now I haven’t got one, and I think to myself, ‘Well, it may not be your dog, but it’s around.”

Chris Noodles has made a real difference for some residents. She said there was another resident who had to leave her two little dogs behind when she moved into Naroo, and Noodles was giving her some solace.  

Noodles has slightly disrupted the former order of daily activities.

Pat arrived one afternoon to visit her mother when the bingo was meant to be on. 

Instead, she found all the residents in the courtyard otherwise engaged. 

“Here’s Diggety and Noodles out there, playing like you wouldn’t believe. These two dogs rolling each other over and carrying on, and there’s dog toys everywhere and the whole of Naroo is out there, playing with the dogs. Stick the bingo, nobody wants to do bingo,” she laughed.

Geoff said some of the residents are badly missing the dogs they have had to leave behind when they moved into aged care.

“Well, now Noodles is kind of filling that gap a bit,” Pat said.

At Naroo, Chris said Noodles is everybody’s dog.

“I knew there was something coming that would change our lives, and he did,” Chris said.