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Balto, a Derbyshire therapy dog who had changed lives of many people was awarded a prestigious award just before passing away
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NewsTranscript
00:00 I've been in dark places, but that's the reason I'm still here.
00:04 This lad's given me a reason to be.
00:07 Balto's my rock, but he also helps other people
00:10 in so many different ways.
00:12 He's just a one in a million.
00:14 Balto's a busy boy.
00:21 He raises awareness for rescue huskies.
00:24 He's a therapy dog.
00:25 He raises funds for less fortunate fur babies at Christmas
00:30 and helps charities raise funds as well.
00:34 We try and make a difference, don't we, mate?
00:36 But that wouldn't be possible without him.
00:38 He's the one that makes the difference.
00:41 Balto was only a pupster when he was found as stray.
00:45 He was taken to the kennels
00:47 and he was put on a list to be put to sleep.
00:50 He'd only got two days left,
00:52 and if Husky Rescue hadn't heard about him,
00:55 then all the people that he's made smile over the years
00:59 wouldn't have had those smiles.
01:01 It was a close call for him, but he's more than made up for it.
01:05 Balto's a therapy dog in his own right,
01:10 with the charity Canine Concern.
01:12 He is also a Oscar Kilo 9 well-being dog for Humberside Police.
01:19 I've been told by people that when they're down and they meet him,
01:23 he makes them smile, he makes them forget problems.
01:26 Some of the calls can be very distressing,
01:28 dealing with reports of hangings, road traffic collisions,
01:31 beggars that have just been distressed.
01:33 After the calls, staff do need some time away.
01:37 Being able to stroke him and get the interaction with him,
01:40 he just brings you back down to earth again.
01:42 You can feel yourself calming down with him.
01:44 He can change how you feel, not just for that few minutes,
01:48 but for the rest of the day.
01:49 I'm a retired police officer,
01:52 and I was retired on ill health due to CPTSD brought on by the job.
01:58 Having somebody as calming, as loving, as caring as this boy,
02:03 it helps a lot.
02:05 Without him, I wouldn't go out, I wouldn't meet people.
02:10 There'd be no need to do those things.
02:12 I'd just exist.
02:14 He helps me, but he also helps other people.
02:17 The charities that he raises funds for at Christmas
02:20 are his Refuge for Pets.
02:22 He also helps people that are homeless
02:25 or have recently been homeless to get presents for their dogs and cats.
02:30 They've had people that are scared of dogs that have, through him,
02:35 have gone on to like dogs.
02:37 In fact, one young boy at a school,
02:40 the outcome was that he could actually go to the park at last
02:43 with his mum.
02:46 From his scrawny beginnings to now, he's come such a long way.
02:51 Balto is a working dog by breed, but he's a working dog by nature.
02:56 He works so hard when he's visiting,
03:00 but he also works hard to look after me.
03:02 He's my rock, he's my reason to be,
03:07 and he's helped so many people over the years.
03:09 He's a good boy, aren't you, mate? You're my good boy.
03:14 You're my good boy.
03:16 [BLANK_AUDIO]