St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs Toronto Pack

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St. John Ambulance Therapy Dogs Toronto Pack

The St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program brings comfort and companionship to those in our community who need and appreciate the love of a dog.

To find out more about joining the Toronto T-Dog pack please email [email protected]

07/20/2026

***NEW TEAM ALERT*** Please join us in welcoming Sugar, Miso and their handler Rachelle to the pack! Miso and Rachelle have been with us since 2024 and little sister Sugar just joined them.

Rachelle tells us:

“ We have a friend in Seoul Korea, who arranged to have a Korean Jindo flown to Toronto, where we were to pick her up for transport to a friend in Montreal. Turns out the friend in Montreal was unable to take her. So my husband and I went - I guess we have a dog! That dog turned out to be Miso. Miso is an amazing, deep, smart, quiet, clean, loving dog that helped me get through a serious mental illness. I had a lot of sad experiences in long-term care and assisted living, so when Miso came to me I thought - I have to share this dog to turn my experience into a positive one for others. We went through the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog training, and testing and Miso has been a therapy dog since November 2024. We visit a LTC home weekly and it’s wonderful.

My friend in Seoul introduced us to the potential for another dog named Sugar. Long story short, Miso and Sugar met and fell in love so Sugar joined our family. Sugar is far more emotional and expressive, but has the same qualities as Miso otherwise, so naturally, I put her through the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog program. In the meantime, Miso has just passed the test to be a therapy dog for kids so we’re looking into partnering with the Toronto Public Library.

My two Jindo girls are so amazing… When I walk down the street it’s like I’m walking down the street with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. They are so charming we get so much attention and they love it. Miso is 3 and Sugar is 2.

I’ve seen how difficult long-term care and assisted living can be for some. And I see how much people miss their pets when they’re in these homes. And I also see how lonely people are, and sometimes sad. Sugar and Miso are the perfect antidote. They make people so happy. And I forgot about my part in this: I’ve become attached to the residents. I can’t wait to retire and spend more time there with my two therapy dogs.”

Welcome to all three (Miso is the darker dog)! We wish you lots of joy and waggles 🤍🤎🤍🤎

07/17/2026

How’s Bella enjoying her summer? She’s either stopping to sniff the flowers or visiting her beloved seniors. In other words - she makes the most of every day!

07/16/2026

We apologize for being late on this one but LAST WEEK, sweet Ozzy turned five years old! He spent the day visiting his friends at the Canadian Ukrainian Care Centre. He enjoyed a nature walk and, of course, some birthday cake!

Ozzy - we hope your birthday and all your days are full of fun, love, and yummy treats! 🩶🤍🩶

07/15/2026

***NEW TEAM ALERT*** Please join us in welcoming Luka and his handler Daniel to the pack!

Daniel tells us:

“Luka is a 4 year old golden retriever whom we’ve been lucky to have since he was 8 weeks old. When off duty, you can find Luka on the trails, balancing on the paddle board, or strutting out of the pet shop with his own little brown paper bag of treats. Luka is your typical golden, he loves every stranger like he’s known them for years, and every ball that isn’t his. He carries his infectious smile with him everywhere. He is proudly named after Luka Modric.

Fun Fact: Luka knows over 14 commands!

I wanted to give back to a community that’s given me so much since moving to Toronto, and Luka made the decision easy from a young age.”

Luka and Daniel are currently visiting at Bridgepoint Health, sharing wags and happiness. We’re so glad to have them on board! Welcome team! 💛💛💛

07/10/2026

Lovely Benji and his handler Linda have decided it’s time for a well earned retirement from therapy dog work! Linda tells us:

“Benji has been a Therapy Dog for over 11 yrs, starting when he was 3. He loved visiting the seniors who did not take part in any programs but stayed in their rooms. When walking throughout the facility people recognized him. Their loved ones talked about his visits.

Once he got his Child Friendly designation and started visiting schools, I think this was his favorite. He loved being read to by children. He became a Sick Kids Therapy dog visiting a classroom with teens. The classroom used his Santa pic for the top of their Xmas tree. He also did special one on one with children there.
Benji’s brother Coco (also pictured) retired in April after visiting the Village Club.

We have throughly enjoyed our time with your wonderful organization. Both dogs got so much love and actually liked being away from each other”

We thank Benji, Coco and Linda for their work and dedication to our program! We know they brought so much joy to the people they visited. We wish them a long and happy retirement 🤎🩶🤎🩶

07/05/2026

***NEW TEAM ALERT*** Please join us in welcoming Oakley and her handler Sue to the pack!

Sue tells us:

“Oakley is 9 years old - and we’re grateful that she still looks and acts like a puppy. Especially with her summer cut she is sporting as she spends as much time in the lake at our cabin as possible. As expected, as a Retriever she loves to play as much as possible especially fetching her ball.
She is a very social girl, and prefers humans to saying hello to other dogs
We applied to become a therapy dog as when we are out for walks she looks people right in the eyes, stopping them on the street so she can get more affection. People have thanked me after saying that Oakley made their day. We strive to spread as much of her love to any and all that are interested.”

Oakley and Sue are currently visiting at Briton House where the residents this week declared her “the best dog ever!” She’s already set a high bar for herself and we have no doubt she’ll always clear it! Welcome team! 💛💛💛

06/30/2026

***NEW TEAM ALERT*** Please join us in welcoming Arthur and his handler Kate to the pack!

Kate tells us:

“Arthur is a 5-year-old Aussiedoodle who has just started his therapy dog career visiting patients at Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital. Arthur’s favourite things include herding his family into one room at home, running at the park, greeting other dogs on walks and accepting any and all vegetable bits when someone is cooking. He loves kids and is happiest when the two he has at home are cuddling him!“

Arthur and Kate are currently visiting at Bridgepoint Health. We wish them many years of meaningful visits! Welcome! 🤎🤎🤎

06/29/2026

***NEW TEAM ALERT*** Please join us in welcoming Scully and her handler Cassandra to the pack!

Scully is a 6-year old Samoyed who has been with Cassandra since she was a tiny, 8-week old ball of fluff. She loves pets and people, and is well known throughout their neighbourhood for being very soft and very friendly.

As a Sammy, she has opinions and likes to share them enthusiastically with mom on their morning walks. But people who meet her know her as a calm and gentle giant. She’s even met people with lifelong fears of dogs whom she made feel safe enough to be the first dog they’d ever pet. Seeing how she helped those people go from scared to being excited when they caught sight of her on the sidewalk, was one of the reasons Cassandra thought Scully would be a great therapy dog.

At home Scully is a bit of a couch potato, but she loves to go out for a hike in the woods or a splash along the beach when it’s hot out. Of course, winter is her favourite season and she’s fond of burrowing into snowbanks, which she blends into perfectly and wishes she would be allowed to live in throughout the entirety of winter instead of having to come inside. She nonetheless makes the most of the warmer months by taking mud baths whenever she finds the chance, or sitting next to people at the park enticing them to give her treats and pets.

Scully and Cassandra are currently visiting at Sunnybrook Holland Hospital. We know they are going to brighten many days and make wonderful moments 🤍🤍🤍

06/26/2026

Our dogs were present at the funeral and visitation for slain police officer Constable Marc Pinizzotto this week. In total, 19 teams came out to provide comfort on this solemn occasion. This was a tremendous showing from our pack and we hope our dogs helped ease the grief of the mourners

06/21/2026

We are so sad to share that sweet Jagger passed away earlier this week at the age of 15.

Jagger and his handler Ann were a team from 2018 until his retirement earlier this year. He is survived by his sister pug Pumpkin who retired from our pack in 2024. Jagger, Ann, and Pumpkin have been dedicated members of our team who were involved in many special events.

Jagger visited regularly at Pearson Airport, giving weary travellers a boost and a smile. He participated in parades including the Lakeshore Santa Claus Parade and the Warriors Day Parade at the CNE. He was basically the star, being pushed in his stroller to the delight of the crowds!

Jagger was named for the Rolling Stone because he had those “moves like Jagger”. He had a wiggle and a swagger to match his personality. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.

We send our deepest condolences to Ann and the rest of Jagger’s family. And we thank them so much for all they gave 🌈🤎💛🖤

Address

365 Bloor Street East Suite 900
Toronto, ON
M4W3L4

Website

http://www.sja.ca/

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