14 DAY TRIAL // It is a well-known fact that Labradors are a rather soothing presence, especially if they happen to be trained therapy dogs.
Still, the news that one such pooch has recently helped a woman deliver her baby is bound to take some people by surprise.
The staff at the St. Michael's Hospital in Bristol explain that this Labrador, named Barney, was only allowed inside the maternity ward because its owner argued that its presence would make it easier for her to go through the two-hour long labor. Daily Mail reports that, prior to the dog's being allowed to enter the maternity ward, medical experts made sure that its presence there would not in any way constitute a threat to either the child or its mother.
“This is the first time any of the hospital’s staff can remember such a thing happening. They’re now worried that other women will be allowed to do the same because a precedent has been set,” a spokesperson for the St. Michael's hospital commented with respect to this incident.