MAN’S best friend has been living up to its name at a Darwen care home.

Volunteer Rose Townsend took her two Cavalier King Charles spaniels to Lees Court as part of the Pets As Therapy scheme.

The project aims to give former pet owners the chance to connect with animals again, and could become a monthly event.

The dogs - Daisy and Candy - visited the Anchor-run Ribble Avenue home for the first time last week, and scheme manager Catherine Gallagher said they proved to be extremely popular.

She said: “Anchor is one of the few housing associations that allow small pets, but we have a number of tenants who are too frail to care for a pet. With a bit of help from social services, we got in touch with Pets As Therapy down south, who put us in contact with Rose.”

Catherine said the dogs had brought back many happy memories for some of the 38 elderly residents at Lees Court.

She said: “It did some of them the world of good.”