TransPennine Express welcomes railway’s first official therapy dog to boost passenger and staff wellbeing

Credit: Transpennine express

TransPennine Express (TPE) has become the first train operator in the UK to have its own officially registered Pets as Therapy (PAT) dog. Nya, a six-year-old German Shepherd, is owned and trained by TPE’s Safeguarding and Crime Prevention Lead, Stephen O’Callaghan.

Details on the Transpennine express

The national charity, Pets as Therapy, helps improve health and wellbeing through therapeutic pet visits. After three months of training and assessment, Nya was certified and now joins Stephen on visits to TPE stations, offering passengers and staff a calming, tail-wagging welcome.

Stephen, from Sheffield, said: “I’ve had dogs most of my life and have always been a dog lover. I’ve always recognised the strong connection that dogs can have on improving people’s wellbeing and the natural calming abilities that they bring to people, as well as the social interaction that they provide.”

Nya is now a key part of TPE’s customer service team and supports employee mental health across the network. She has been met with widespread enthusiasm, with travellers and colleagues regularly stopping to say hello during her station visits.

Stephen added: “Nya is now officially qualified to perform visits, and she has received such a positive response, with dozens of travellers and colleagues stopping to say hello. I’m so proud that TPE is the first ever train operator to have its own therapy dog, and I’d love to see this rolled out across the rest of the railway.”

Therapeutic visits by PAT Teams can offer comfort to isolated individuals, help children improve focus and literacy in school settings, and support recovery and mental health across a range of environments. TPE’s initiative highlights the growing role of wellbeing support in the UK’s public transport sector.