Meet Bruce: The newest Ambulance Victoria recruit

A five-year-old Labrador named Bruce is the newest addition to Ambulance Victoria’s peer support team, to help paramedics deal with the difficult scenarios they face everyday.

Tony Walker, CEO of Ambulance Victoria, told Tom Elliott Bruce is very affectionate and loves pats.

“Some people don’t want to talk about the things they’ve seen,” Tony said.

“Just by patting the dog it can help them with their mental health.”

The suicide rate among Ambulance Victoria workers is four times higher than that of regular Victorians.

Bruce will visit paramedics and staff as part of a pilot program to help improve and strengthen the mental health and wellbeing of the workforce.

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview