Therapy dog who cuddled Manchester Arena victims retires in emotional last shift

Alfie the pug has supported thousands of children connected their travel to recovery, but aft marking a immense milestone day has decided to walk connected the baton to different pooch

A therapy canine who has helped thousands of children successful hospital, including victims of the Manchester Arena attack, is retiring aft much than 8 years of service.

Alfie, a 10-year-old pug, started visiting the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital successful 2016, but has decided to bent up his harness aft reaching his 70th day successful canine years.

His proprietor Dr Suzy Emsden said the greying pooch is acceptable to settee down into status but Alfie would ne'er hide his unthinkable patients.

She told ITV : "It was a existent privilege to beryllium a portion of the effect to [the Manchester Arena attack]. He’s not going to effort and archer you everything’s ok, he’s not going to effort and explicate it, he’s conscionable going to beryllium determination with you successful the moment."

She added: "You tin spot he’s got his small grey hairs now, he’s getting older, his proceeding isn’t arsenic large arsenic it could beryllium immoderate much and he’s conscionable acceptable to bask immoderate years of status now."

Alfie, who chronicles his adventures connected the ward connected Instagram, has been lifting patients with licks, emotion and cuddles since helium was conscionable a puppy.

One young miss was truthful touched by his visits that she adjacent dropped backmost into the infirmary to bid farewell to Alfie arsenic helium completed his last displacement connected the ward past week.

Former diligent Abigail Frechou said: "I was present arsenic a crab diligent and having Alfie astir helped due to the fact that I person pets astatine location and I utilized to miss them. When Alfie utilized to conscionable amusement up connected my furniture it utilized to conscionable bring happiness."

Her mum Ellie added: "It was conscionable large to spot her smiling, she utilized to accidental helium was the champion happening astir treatment."

Another young diligent who had suffered a bleed connected the encephalon and past a changeable had been missing his ain canine erstwhile Alfie came to cheer him up.

"Stephen had a bleed connected the brain, past helium had a spasm connected the encephalon which caused him to person a stroke," mum Carla Hibbet said.

"Having the canine makes him smile, it brightens up his day. It’s a spot of normality due to the fact that we person a canine astatine home, which Stephen’s not been capable to see."

Although Alfie won't beryllium making his regular infirmary visits, patients past and contiguous volition beryllium capable to travel his retired beingness connected societal media, wherever the fashionable pug has much than 115,000 Instagram followers.

In an affectional farewell station connected the platform, Alfie told them: "My past displacement completed. What an astonishing 8.5 years with @petsastherapy_uk. I’ve met the astir astonishing patients, families, staff, friends, colleagues, and virtual friends who person been with maine each measurement of the way. What a privilege to person loved you all. Retirement mode activated now."