Meet the pups from the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program

Did you know that St. John Ambulance have their own adorable army of therapy dogs? You might have caught them out in your community lately, sporting their official St. John Ambulance bandana.

There are over 800 St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog teams in BC and the Yukon and not only are these incredible pets the cutest thing we’ve seen lately, but they’re providing paw-erful stress-relief to the sick and elderly in hospitals and care homes.

The volunteer-based program, run purely on donations, is also de-stressing students in universities and colleges and providing canine companions for sleepy travelers at YVR.

Cue the smiles (and the tissues). Get ready to meet the St. John Ambulance canine companions:

Nurse Bruno

 

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The first very special pup we have to introduce is Nurse Bruno. This Brussels Griffon mix specializes in bringing grins to those in need. When Bruno isn’t tending to his patients at VGH, he’s tending to his Instagram followers.

Hana the Poodle Shih Tzu

 

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Meet Hana, the four-year-old Poodle Shih Tzu. You can catch her being this cute all the time at the North Shore Therapy Dog Unit with her volunteer owner, Unit Faciliator, Diane.

MacDuff Austin-Chester

 

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Royalists, rejoice! If you detected an air of regalness in his pup’s gaze, that’s because MacDuff Austin-Chester ain’t your regular old pooch. He belongs to Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, Janet Austin, and is the official greeter for Government House.

Duvessa the Great Dane

 

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Everyone, meet Duvessa. She loves a good human handshake, napping, and bringing smiles to everyone she visits at facilities all over northern B.C with her owner, Faye — a job she’s done for over 200 hours. That’s pretty pawsome.

Mikey the Bull Mastiff

 

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You can find this gentle canine cutie frequenting the Surrey Memorial and doing big yawns like the one below at the Paws 4 Stories Program — especially when children read him bedtime stories.

Adorable Abi

 

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Abi is always being adorable and volunteers at the Sardis Library in Chilliwack. She also participates in the Paws 4 Stories program, and you can find her at the Chilliwack General Hospital bringing comfort and joy to sick kids.

The service that the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs provide wouldn’t be possible today without the help of so many dedicated volunteers and generous donors.

So how do they fund the program? Any sales from their online store, like medical equipment such as defibrillators or Pet First Aid Kits, in addition to their first aid classes and training, go straight towards the Therapy Dog Program and community services the charity provides in our local communities. The sale of just one defibrillator can support over 14 therapy dog visits! The program also accepts donations from the community.

To help the program keep running, these pups and their owners need ongoing support from people like you. Anyone who wants to join the incredible volunteer team (or wants to have a pooch visit their workplace) are welcome to email [email protected]. Even if you don’t have a dog suitable for the program, St. John Ambulance is always looking for help.

To see more of these floofs in action, follow St. John Ambulance on Instagram or donate here.