STARS Air Ambulance Welcomes Orion as Their New Therapy Dog

For those of us who share our lives with pets, we know that their very presence can change the energy of a room. Whether it’s a quiet evening at home or a stressful afternoon, our animals help to ground and calm us.

Recently, STARS Air Ambulance, an organization known for high-stakes, life-saving missions, decided to bring that same benefit to its frontline crews by welcoming a very special new team member, Orion.

Orion is a professionally trained therapy dog provided by the Pacific Assisted Dog Society (PADS). Since joining the team in February 2025, he has become a fixture at the Winnipeg base, though his calming influence and energy extend across the STARS network.

His primary role with the team is to support the pilots, paramedics, and flight nurses who work daily in environments and situations that involve extreme stress and trauma.  

“What our plan is, to evaluate the first two years with a therapy dog and decide from there to expand the program and whether that will include additional dogs in each province or each of our six bases,” explained Grant Therrien, providing director for Manitoba STARS operations, STARS flight paramedic, and Orion’s handler.

While we often use the terms interchangeably, Orion’s role is distinctly different from that of a service dog.

A service dog is specifically trained to perform tasks for a single individual with a disability, such as guiding someone with visual impairment or alerting a person to an impending seizure so that they can prepare themselves accordingly. These dogs have specific legal public access rights because they are considered essential medical equipment.

In contrast, a therapy dog like Orion is trained to provide emotional and psychological comfort to many people. These dogs must have an exceptionally calm temperament and enjoy being handled by people, especially strangers. Their “job” is presence. By simply sitting with a flight crew after a difficult mission, Orion helps lower cortisol levels and heart rates, helping them back to a calmer state of mind.

Orion’s work is not limited to the staff. He has also become a key resource for former patients and their families.

When survivors return to the base to meet the crews who saved them, the emotions they experience can be overwhelming. Orion often stands with these families, offering a quiet, reassuring presence that makes a sensitive conversation and difficult memories a little easier to navigate.

The addition of Orion to the STARS team is a clear reminder of what pet parents have always known: the bond between humans and animals is a powerful tool for healing.

In the world of emergency medicine, where every second counts, Orion reminds the team to take a breath. He proves that sometimes the most effective way to care for those who save lives is provide them with a loyal friend who is always ready to listen.

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