‘Amazing’ construction dog Merida to embark on therapy training

A popular pooch who has become a familiar face on our building sites is set to become a certified therapy dog thanks to SEH French and Holmes Plant & Construction.

Merida the fox red Labrador has joined her owner Steve Leggett on our building sites across the county since 2023, quickly becoming popular with both site workers and the public.

As a rescue dog, Merida has suffered with anxiety and had been hesitant to come out of her shell – until both one-on-one training and exposure to Steve’s colleagues helped both herself and her newfound colleagues improve their wellbeing.

That has now inspired both us and Steve’s employer, Holmes Plant & Construction, to sponsor her training as a PETS therapy dog – with the hopes of her visiting hospices, hospitals and care homes later this year.

Steve said: “Merida is just amazing. She is a brilliant working dog and everyone loves seeing her on-site.

“You see it all the time how people arrive and their moods are instantly uplifted as soon as they see her. 

“She will sit in the back of the van all day, good as gold. She is always up for a cuddle, sometimes people are lining up by the van to say hello! 

“I’ve never known a dog like her. She’s just incredible  – and I know she will be just as amazing in brightening up the days of more people when she qualifies.”

Merida spends most of her time on-site in the back of Steve’s van, with the doors wide open for her to watch them work. The team can also take her out for walks or to play.

Her colleagues have even gone as far as to build her a kennel and surrounding pen area at their current site in Felixstowe.

Her journey to becoming a therapy dog has been made all the more inspirational after she was diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes in August 2024.

Thankfully surgery to remove them was a huge success, with Merida returning to site at the tail end of the year. 

Her training will be delivered with the support of local professional trainer Steve Andrews.

Neil Pryke, Contracts Manager at SEH French, said: “We are delighted to support Merida through her training.

“Both her and Steve have worked at multiple SEH French sites in recent years – and we’ve seen firsthand how her pawsitivity on-site has benefitted both herself and others. 

“Her journey so far has been nothing short of inspiring and we can’t wait to see how she can help more people going forward.” 

People can follow Merida’s journey by following our social media channels.