In 1890, John Wagner, the postmaster of Dunmanway, gifted a young St. Bernard dog to his niece, Miss Tolerton, a nurse at the hospital. The dog was named Leo and became a companion for the sick children under the care of Matron Miss Baxter. Leo was outfitted with a barrel to hang around his neck, and he was frequently walked through the city to collect donations. From 1893 to 1897, the hospital's annual reports dedicated a section to Leo’s activities. In 1897, he was awarded first prize and a silver cup as the best hospital dog at the Prince of Wales Show.
Although the exact length of Leo's life is unknown, the last mention of him appears in 1897. By that time, he had raised £2,492 for the hospital and had annually collected enough to fund the Leo Cot—a free bed for patients who could not afford the cost of the care.
Leo became a familiar sight around Cork, attending many social functions and playing a vital role in the hospital's fundraising efforts. According to the hospital’s Treasurer, without Leo, the hospital might not have been able to survive its annual expenditure of £2,000.
Here’s to Leo the Dog.
The South Infirmary was established by a Catholic charity and officially opened in 1762. Meanwhile, the Victoria Hospital for Women and Children, founded by a Protestant charity, opened at Union Quay in September 1874. The hospital moved to Pope’s Quay in October 1876 and then relocated to a site adjacent to the South Infirmary in September 1885. The two hospitals officially merged to form the South Infirmary-Victoria Hospital in 1988. After a name change to South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital in 2005, the hospital expanded with the completion of three new operating theatres in 2012.