Newswise — LOS ANGELES (April 11, 2016) – What could be warmer and fuzzier than a cute dog? How about 20 of them gathered together at a ‘pawty’ to celebrate a milestone occasion? That’s what happened when Children’s Hospital Los Angeles declared Monday to be Dog Therapy Appreciation Day. The hospital’s Amerman Family Foundation Dog Therapy Program marked a first by providing 365 consecutive days of dog therapy to CHLA patients, families and staff. The last day without a therapy dog on the CHLA campus was April 10, 2015.
Patients, families and CHLA staff gathered at the hospital’s Ralph M. Parson’s outdoor dining terrace to collect therapy dog trading cards and mix and mingle with the volunteers and the therapy dogs including Bonner, a 7-year-old Newfoundland and the program’s largest dog, and Tina, a two-year-old Mi-Ki, the program’s smallest dog.
Attendees were also invited to get their photo taken with their favorite therapy dog at the pawty-themed photo booth provided by Desert Rose Photography. While the humans did indeed have their fun, the day was all about the hospital’s four-legged heroes. At the end of the program, the dogs were presented with gift bags from Healthy Spot, and a special treat -- a bone-shaped cake prepared by local dog dessert specialists at The Dog Bakery in Mar Vista, Calif.
“We are so grateful to our 107 therapy dogs and our 117 volunteers who helped us achieve this incredible goal,” says Deborah Jury, pediatric nurse practitioner and oversight director for the AFF Dog Therapy Program, noting that 15 years ago, “the dog therapy program was launched with three volunteers on one unit. We’re delighted to have come so far, and to have had an impact on so many lives.”
Erika Daniels, a 13-year-old CHLA patient who was hospitalized for five weeks last year, says her recovery from brain surgery (which resulted in partial paralysis and loss of speech) was greatly enhanced by the dog therapy program.
“It was really hard to be in the hospital for five weeks,” Erika says, noting that at times her fatigue and frustration hindered her progress with physical therapy. “When the dogs would come to my room, of course I wanted to pet them and play with them and in order to do that, I had to start moving. I got stronger and learned to walk again thanks to them. Someday I hope I can be a dog therapy volunteer with my dog Patches.”The arrival of a dog at a patient’s room is often one of the most anticipated parts of a child’s hospital stay, providing an opportunity for a happy, memorable moment during what can be a very challenging time. While patients receive the longest and most focused interactions, dogs also lend support to siblings, parents, visitors, medical staff and other employees.
Some other facts about the program include:
- An average of 4 dogs per day visit CHLA.- The dogs and their volunteers have spent quality one-on-one time with more than 10,000 patients in the past year. - The dogs and their volunteers have logged an additional 37,500 interactions with parents, siblings, visitors and employees. - Dogs visit every inpatient unit (except the part of Oncology reserved for BMT patients) 3 ICUs, including the heart transplant unit and nearly a dozen outpatient clinics. - Therapy dogs come in all sizes, ages, and breeds, and roughly half of the dogs in the program are rescues.
About The Amerman Family Foundation Dog Therapy Program The Amerman Family Foundation Dog Therapy Program is overseen by medical professionals from the division of Pain Management, which is part of the department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine. Funded entirely by donations and comprised of dogs of all ages, breeds, sizes and backgrounds, the AFF Dog Therapy Program caters to the individual needs and wishes of each child visited. While a majority of visits take place in patient rooms, therapy dogs are also available to help motivate kids during physical therapy, distract them during long or uncomfortable procedures, and provide relief for those in pain.
About Children’s Hospital Los AngelesChildren’s Hospital Los Angeles is a nonprofit pediatric health care organization dedicated to creating hope and building healthier futures for children. Honored as the premier children’s hospital in California and among the top 10 in the nation, we treat 111,000 young patients annually from Los Angeles and around the world. As a pediatric charity of choice, the hospital relies on the generosity of the community to support its groundbreaking pediatric research and the complex care it provides for critically ill and injured children.
For more information, visit http://www.CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit the http://www.CHLA blog.
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