Rushcliffe Oaks manager Rhonda Churchill is the proud owner of Maisie. (Picture: Rushcliffe Borough Council / SWNS)

An adorable dog is now working at a crematorium to offer emotional support to mourners in their time of need.

Eight-year-old Shih-tzu Maisie, who is believed to be Britain’s very ‘first crematorium comfort dog’, works at Rushcliffe Oaks in Stragglethorpe, Nottingham.

Losing a loved one is such a heart-wrenching experience, but the little furry friend aims to make things a little bit better by offering ‘fuss and cuddles’ to grieving individuals.

The pooch regularly attends services at the crematorium to bring ‘smiles to faces’ in difficult times of need.

She’s on hand to help (Picture: Rushcliffe Borough Council / SWN)

It all started when crematorium manager Rhonda Churchill, who is also Maisie’s owner, started getting requests for her to attend funerals. 

As you can imagine, the reception to Maisie has been nothing but stellar.

‘It takes the edge off and gives that little distraction so when you’re talking through arrangements or you’re about to have a service that is particularly sensitive, it just takes that focus away for a few moments,’ says Rhonda.

‘We have a wonderful, dedicated team on-site who are committed to providing a professional and personal service for all visitors, sympathetic to all who have been bereaved and we think Maisie can add some additional comfort for those who want it.’

Eight-year-old Maisie offers comfort and love (Picture: Rushcliffe Borough Council / SWNS)

Not only is Maisie a calming and loving presence to have around during immensely difficult moments, she also has the tendency to find the person in the room who is struggling the most.

When this happens, she’ll go over to them and offer them comfort as they say goodbye to loved ones. 

‘There was a little boy who was really upset and she just stopped at the little boy and he was able to fuss her and just be distracted at that difficult moment,’ Rhonda told the BBC.

‘She’s quite small and very fluffy. She’s a bit like a teddy bear. She’s just full of goodness’.

Thank you for your service, Maisie.

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Maisie is here to offer comfort and hugs.