Speaker Hoyle: Trauma support dog would be ‘calming influence’ on MPs
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle is an animal lover with a menagerie of pets.
A trauma support dog could be a “calming influence” on MPs, Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle suggested.
The animal-loving Speaker played ball with Dexter, a black labrador who is helping emergency services workers cope with mental health issues, and suggested the dog would be a useful addition in Westminster.
Dexter was trained as a drugs sniffer but was deemed too sociable to take part in police raids and so found a new role as the Metropolitan Police’s first wellbeing and trauma support dog.
The Speaker owns a menagerie of pets – including a parrot called Boris.
Dexter visited Parliament along with handler Pc Mike Sheather, who said: “While Dexter made a dismal drugs dog, because he is just too friendly, he is perfect in this role of getting people to open up.”
