HE WAS the dog who brought smiles to thousands of patients at a Hampshire hospital.

Now Max, a Pets as Therapy dog, has passed away after almost six years of loyal service to the patients at Southampton General Hospital.

The German shepherd spent most of his nine dog years touring the various wards to cheer up patients and provide companionship.

His owner, Mike Thorpe, 65, from Woolston, Southampton, said: “He never failed to put a smile on patients’ faces. It was his job.

“I’ve been in hospital and I know what it feels like. Staff can be wonderful but they can’t take away that feeling that you have inside – Max could see something in patients and made them feel better.”

Max suffered from back problems, and had trouble walking the week before he died.

However, it was only when Max saw his work uniform that he stood up and Mike could take him to the vet.

“The uniform sparked something in him. He put everything he had into standing up. He wanted to go out and give people love. But when we arrived at the vet he fell down and never got up again,” Mike said.

As previously reported, back in 2015 Max was nominated for the Daily Echo Hospital Hero Award, the competition that aims to recognise the work of hospital staff.

“He loved what he was doing. He also went in every Christmas and bank holiday. He still gets Christmas cards and postcards and he had lots of presents delivered to the hospital,” Mike said.

“He’ll always be in the memory of the patients he helped,” he added.

Mike drove to Fleetwood, Lancashire, six years ago to rescue Max.

When he met him he had no doubts about what to do and took him to Southampton.

Six months later, Max passed the test to become a therapy dog.

“I saw potential in him to become a therapy dog. It just needed to be nurtured. I can’t explain exactly what it was but I knew I had it. He had something special in his heart,” Mike said.

“I cannot put into words what it meant to me. I’ve lost a lot. He was part of me. He was my world. He’ll always be with me,” he added.

Mike has rescued hundreds of German shepherds over the past few decades, retraining them as therapy dogs over the past 15 years.

“I have always thought dogs have something special. If people open their heart and let dogs in, it will repay that kindness,” he said.