In the palliative care centre at Calais Hospital in northern France, Marion, 24, who has metastatic cancer, cuddles her seven-year-old son, Ethan, as Peyo nuzzles them both. ‘With Peyo, we try to recreate life at the end of life, in order to fight, and create an energy to accompany families and caregivers,’ says his trainer, Hassen Bouchakour. Peyo and Bouchakour work with Les Sabots du Coeur, an organisation devoted to therapy, and with scientists who are studying Peyo’s ability to reduce patients’ anxiety and comfort people in pain
