I got Nya, a German shepherd, when she was a puppy. She has such a good temperament – she’s really calm around people.
When she was five years old, I decided to register her with Pets As Therapy, an organisation that brings therapy pets into hospitals, care homes, schools and other places to befriend people, and help reduce stress and anxiety.
I work as the safeguarding and crime prevention lead for TransPennine Express (TPE). Nya comes out with me on the rail network, attending events to raise awareness of mental health support.
She is TPE’s registered therapy dog – it’s the first train operator to have its own – and I’m really proud of that. A lot of people have anxiety about travelling. She can help with that and with feelings of depression.
At one event, there was a woman struggling with low mood. She spent 20 minutes with Nya, just rolling on the floor, stroking her, cuddling her. She came up to me and said that it really helped to break her negative chain of thoughts.
Nya puts a smile on people’s faces. After they’ve met her, people always tell me: “That made my day a lot better.” She uplifts everyone around her and gets people talking.
‘My little shadow’ … Stephen and Nya in 2022.
Nya looks like a wolf – people always come up to us whenever we’re out because of this, so she’s like a celebrity. I’ve got two young kids and she comes on the school runs with me. She does some really cool tricks, including one where she will walk or run in between my legs for as long as I want her to. She can spin around, roll and jump up with both paws.
I’ve done school presentations with her, and one in Manchester ended with an impromptu showcase of tricks, which got a round of applause.
She’s very food-oriented; she has her paws crossed that everyone we meet will have a dog biscuit on them, but I always carry loads with me.
Taking her out for a walk helps me switch off – it keeps me grounded and lowers the feelings of anxiety that I get sometimes. Nya’s helped me before when I’ve been feeling down.
I was a police officer for 20 years and you’re exposed to a lot of difficult situations – it definitely took its toll. So I wanted to help other people by making her a therapy dog.
We have a really strong bond; we can read each other’s energy. It’s nice to have someone miss me when I leave the room – she’s like my little shadow. As told to Ann Lee
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