Meet Sheffield hospice St Luke’s new furry four-legged volunteer

Bruce is the companion of St Luke’s volunteer hairdresser Erica Hanson-Fountain – and he’s also a St Luke’s Pets as Therapy dog.

Erica first brought Bruce to the hospice to visit a friend’s mum during her time as a patient but after seeing the difference that one visit made it was clear that the much-loved family pet could be a perfect candidate for the PAT Dogs scheme.

Erica said: “The impact of bringing Bruce to St Luke’s is massive and everyone wants a piece of him.

“Having him at St Luke’s also helps to bring a sense of normality, a really normal vibe for our patients.”

Erica usually brings Bruce to St Luke’s on the days that she herself is volunteering, and visiting relatives who have become used to his friendly welcome often pop in to the St Luke’s salon specifically to see him on those days.

But the biggest difference Bruce has made has been to the lives of the animal loving patients he visits at the hospice.

Erica added: “We had one patient who had been here for eight weeks and had not seen his own dog at all in that time and who actually said he didn’t want his dog to come in.

“But one day I brought Bruce in to see him and after that he asked for his dog to be brought in for a visit – that’s the difference that Bruce can make.”

Pets As Therapy is a national charity founded in 1983, seeking to enhance health and wellbeing in the community through the visits of trusted volunteers with their behaviourally assessed animals. This visiting service is available in hospitals, hospices, nursing and care homes, special needs schools and a variety of other venues all across the UK.

Visit petsastherapy.org