St Vincent’s Care Services Toowoomba resident adopts dog and sets up garden as part of bucket list project

From living on the street to roaming the halls of St Vincent’s Care Services, Freckles the dog has lifted the spirits of residents and helped his owner rekindle her love of gardening.

Toowoomba Care Services resident Mary Lester loved the visiting RSPCA dog Freckles so much she adopted him. She is pictured with her husband Vince Lester. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Only 18 months ago, Freckles the dog was living rough on the street, but after he was picked up by RSPCA Queensland all it took was one trip to St Vincent’s Care Services Toowoomba to find his forever home.

In the months before last year’s Covid-19 lockdown of aged care facilities, St Vincent’s Care Services Toowoomba facility manager Elzette Lategan said RSPCA staff were able to visit with some of their dogs up for adoption.

Freckles, the former street hound, made such an impression on resident Mary Lester that she couldn’t bear seeing him leave.

“All the residents just loved Freckles, so we ended up purchasing him, and Mary decided that she was going to be our key caretaker of him,” Ms Lategan said.

Toowoomba Care Services resident Mary Lester loved the visiting RSPCA dog Freckles so much she adopted him. She is pictured with her husband Vince Lester. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Ms Lester said she had always loved dogs, and the pair became attached from day one.

“We walk around to all the different rooms and Freckles has an incredible instinct when it comes to knowing when people need him,” Ms Lester said.

“Freckles has got friends in every room.

“He is an incredible dog.”

Since Freckles has arrived, Ms Lester said he had lifted the spirits of the residents, and also allowed her to resume one of her great passions: gardening.

“In an aged care place you can’t just sit in your room, you’ve got to get out and do something,” Ms Lester said.

“It was my daughter who suggested there was a garden here begging for attention.

“I grew up with beautiful gardens, both my mother and grandmother were gardeners.

“I say to everyone, don’t sit in your room, get out and plant something and watch it grow, there’s no greater joy.”

Toowoomba Care Services resident Mary Lester loved the visiting RSPCA dog Freckles so much she adopted him. She is pictured with her husband Vince Lester. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Ms Lester’s husband, former Nationals MP Vince Lester, said his wife had made a beautiful space for all residents to enjoy.

“The garden is something that everyone is proud of, and she is very pleased with it,” he said.

Ms Lategan said as part of the facility’s continuous quality program, staff worked with residents to tick items off their bucket list.

“Our lifestyle team constantly go around to residents and ask what's on their bucket lists,” she said.

“We had some residents say they wanted to know what it felt like to be arrested, so we’ve invited police to come in, have a chat with residents and put on a demonstration.

“It takes some time to do it properly, but once residents have a wish we start working on it.”