23-05-2025
Six furry-friends join London Fire Brigade
On Newsround we love to tell you about amazing animals doing amazing things, like dogs with jobs. So, we couldn't not share with you these newly-qualified fur-st responders. Six new well-being dogs have joined the team at London Fire Brigade to to help firefighters recover after tough dogs have been trained to visit over 102 fire stations across London and provide the firefighters with some canine love after a tough day at work.
The London Fire well-being dog scheme launched in 2017 and has continued to grow since. These six newly qualified pups will join the dogs already part of the scheme and giving support across London. They include Blue who is a miniature Australian Shepherd, and Ted, a three-year-old cocker spaniel. Once the training is complete, the team will have ten dogs and their handlers, but they hope to continue to recruit more furry colleagues in the future.
Lucy MacLeod is Blue's handler and volunteers alongside him. She said: "He is happy to be stroked, adores being made a fuss of and he is very calm around people."Adding, "Evidence shows that animals like Blue, can have a calming influence on people and provide a positive distraction; there's no judgement from a dog."Now, let's give them a round of a-paws for their new jobs!
