Lachie was received on 9th October 2022 and in early 2023 was registered as an Assistance Animal for his handler (POC). POC is a Spiritual Care Practitioner with Canberra Health Services and Associate Chaplain with ACT Emergency Services Agency – Lachie was integrated into clinical practice in 2023 and performs a dual role as an Assistance Animal and Therapy Dog.

Lachie aids POC treatment of PTSD and Anxiety. Lachie is used in two environments, clinical and operational. In the clinical environment, Lachie is used as part of specific interventions with patients who are end of life, palliative or where complex existential needs are identified.

Lachie is a Labrador whose gentle presence and profound sensitivity have transformed the lives of countless individuals in both clinical and emergency settings. As both an Assistance Animal and Therapy Dog, Lachie has exemplified the highest standard of service expected of animals recognised with the Animal Distinguished Service Medallion.

Since joining Canberra Health Services in early 2023, Lachie has become a vital part of spiritual care offered in acute hospital environments. His work includes sitting beside dying patients, comforting grieving families after distressing or traumatic events. Lachie is often called upon when traditional methods of support are not enough—bringing a calm, grounded presence that enables connection, peace, and emotional relief at critical moments.

What makes Lachie’s service especially distinguished is his dual deployment. Beyond his clinical role, he also supports the ACT Emergency Services Agency, providing a comforting presence for first responders during critical incident debriefings and times of operational stress. His quiet companionship fosters emotional resilience, allowing individuals in high-pressure roles to feel safe, grounded, and acknowledged.

Lachie also provides daily support as an accredited Assistance Animal to his handler—a Spiritual Care Practitioner and Chaplain—who works in emotionally intense and demanding environments. With a background in trauma, the handler benefits from Lachie’s steady companionship, emotional regulation, and grounding presence, which enable the safe and sustained delivery of care to others. This unseen but essential aspect of Lachie’s role ensures that compassionate service can continue even in the most confronting of settings.

Lachie’s impact cannot be measured only in moments of calm or lowered anxiety. He has facilitated meaningful connection at the end of life, helped traumatised professionals return to work, and restored dignity to those who feel forgotten. His presence has saved lives—not in dramatic physical rescues, but through quietly preventing despair, restoring emotional stability, and making life manageable again.

Although Lachie has not yet received formal recognition, his influence is deep and far-reaching. Families remember him. Nurses weep when they speak of him. First responders ask for him by name. In every encounter, Lachie reminds us what service looks like when it is offered without words, without expectation, and without fail.

The inaugural recipients of the Animal Distinguished Service Medallion—Manic and Aslan—served with tremendous courage as Combat Assault Dogs with the 2nd Commando Regiment, offering tactical support across Australia and overseas, including deployments in high-risk environments. Their military service reflects extraordinary devotion and bravery in service to others.

Lachie, while a civilian dog, represents another dimension of distinguished service. He serves not on the battlefield, but at the bedsides of the dying, in the trauma bays of hospitals, and in the aftermath of disasters alongside paramedics, firefighters, and emergency personnel. He does so with a quiet strength, unshakeable presence, and emotional intelligence that has brought healing in some of the most vulnerable and complex human experiences.

Though the context differs, the calibre of service does not. Lachie’s impact—measured not in combat operations, but in lives comforted, trauma soothed, and dignity restored—places him firmly in the company of animals like Manic and Aslan. His work is no less courageous, no less meaningful, and no less deserving of national recognition.

For these reasons, Lachie has been nominated for the Animal Distinguished Service Medallion. He is a quiet hero whose presence has shaped a legacy of care across some of the most vulnerable corners of our community.