Scruffy, a 13-year old dog from the UK, is a remarkable therapy dog. He loves making people laugh, and his presence provides comfort to others. He started to be a therapy dog at two years old, and he is already an expert in this field.
Before the pandemic, Scruffy frequented the Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester. He connected to different types of people from all walks of life. Sometimes, he would sit with the patients or lay in bed with them. He would also visit those who recently had surgeries or even those close to death, and Scruffy knows how to care and be gentle around them.
As a therapy dog for around nine years, Scruffy is already well-adjusted to the hospital environment. The beeping machines no longer bother him, and he knows how to tiptoe through machine wires.
Scruffy’s owner, Gill Brownson, shared that Scruffy loves making people happy, and she enjoys watching him do it. According to her, Scruffy has an expressive face, and it is inspiring how he can connect and communicate well with others with just the movement of his facial muscles. He can light up a room as soon as he enters, and people find him full of life and funny.
In one of their visits to the patients, Brownson recalled how Scruffy became a happy distraction to a woman in pain. The patient was away from her family, so she felt alone and nervous with her upcoming major surgery.
Brownson thought of giving her a teddy bear that she can cuddle and help bring comfort. So she tied the teddy to the back of Scruffy and let him enter the patient’s room. As soon as Scruffy went in, she heard laughter coming from the woman.
It was a fascinating moment of how Scruffy can bring happiness and comfort to those in need. But what makes Scruffy even more special is that he also went through a lot, yet he maintains his funny disposition. He survived two cancers and currently has chronic kidney disease, and yet, these never dampen his spirit. Scruffy can’t wait for the pandemic to end so he can visit patients once again.
Photo credits to Scruffy’s Instagram Account.
