Steph’s Packed Lunch, hosted by Steph McGovern, had viewers at home reaching for the tissues today (March 11).
The blonde host anchored a segment on hero dogs that left viewers at home “sobbing”.
Steph introduced Pete (with Bob and Ralph) and Scott (with Milo) and revealed that their pooches were up for The Kennel Club’s Hero Dog award at this year’s Crufts.
And, as the men told their stories about their four-legged friends, viewers at home – and Steph – started to well up.
What happened on Steph’s Packed Lunch today?
Pete appeared with his two Newfoundland dogs and explained that he runs a charity – Pete Lewin Newfoundlands – that uses dogs to help people.
They take ex-military staff and children swimming in open water with the dogs for emotional support.
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He explained that it helps with mental health, anxiety and suicide prevention.
Pete explained that Bob – the bigger dog – stays on the bank of the river, while the three other dogs are in the water.
Steph stated that the dogs have saved lives.
“Mental health wise, yes,” Pete explained. “There are three people I know of that will tell you they’re here today because of swimming with the dogs has helped them with their mental health.”
Why did he start the charity?
Pete explained the charity started after someone who now works on the team told him that it was a toss up between coming to swim with the dogs or taking her own life.
“Thankfully, sorry I’m getting chocked up, thankfully she’s with us today, but she said that the dogs didn’t judge, didn’t condemn, didn’t criticise.
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“They swam out to rescue her and take her back. Now was she rescued physically or was she rescued mentally? I would say mentally because she’s still here today.
“And I know two other people…,” he said, before choking up.
How did Milo change Scott’s life?
Scott said he didn’t know where to begin.
“If Milo wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be here,” he explained.
Scott said that he lost his sight a few years ago and his world “crumbled”.
He was a dairy farmer and he lost his sight in the milking parlour.
Scott has had numerous operations and has some blurry vision in one of his eyes.
As a result, he is now the proud owner of Guide Dog Milo.
Choking up, he said: “Milo has saved my life and he helped me be a dad again to my children and a husband to Amanda, my wife.
“If Milo wasn’t here I don’t think I’d be here. I didn’t see the point any more because I felt useless. I couldn’t do anything.
“All my confidence had gone. I’d gone from being an independent dad, a father figure, to not being anything in my opinion.”
How did viewers react to the stories?
Pretty emotionally, it has to be said.
One took to Twitter and said: “These hero dog stories on #stephspackedlunch really hit the heart strings,” adding the crying emoji.
A second Steph’s Packed Lunch fan declared: “Dogs are wonderful. We are so lucky to have them in our lives.”
A third viewer said: “I’m having a lemon muffin to cheer me up because I’m crying my eyes out at these men talking about how their dogs saved their lives.”
Another added: “Watching this now, amazing stories. To me they are all winners.”
Finally, another admitted the segment had them “sobbing”.
“Hero dogs had me sobbing,” they said, tweeting the host.
They added “Best afternoon show on TV, from crying to laughing, covering news that no other show does. I want to say thank you all for the past couple of years for keeping me sane.”
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