Snake and his furry friends get a warm welcome at Ampthill care home

The residents at Richmond Manor Care Home opened their arms – and laps - to the creatures including two snakes, a bearded dragon, a rabbit, a guinea pig and two owls.

The friendly creatures were visiting the Dunstable Street care home with Geoff Steel from The Petsman Animal Encounters, as part of a pet therapy programme, allowing people to get a close-up experience of the creatures.

Resident Marion Lomax, aged 92, said: “I love animals, they are so much easier to get on with than people!”

Fellow resident Iris Older, aged 95, added: “This brings back memories of pets I had when I was younger.”

And resident Paul Donoghue, aged 92, said: “I used to have guinea pigs and it’s wonderful to hold one again.”

Richmond's Wellbeing & Lifestyle Coach Clare Cook said: "We all enjoyed having the animals visit and hearing all about them from Geoff who is so informative and passionate about his animals.

“They were able to visit people in the lounge as well as in their own rooms. Animals have a wonderful way of getting people talking and we were all buzzing with excitement.”

Animals are known to have health benefits for people. They can help decrease blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels.