Four-legged friends offer some furry hugs to Children’s Mercy patients
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Children’s Mercy Hospital’s five facility dogs boost morale and help patients achieve their medical goals.
Dusty, Litta, Patsy, Hunter and Jellybean all work full-time to help children and parents cope with the difficulties that come with hospital stays.
Children’s Mercy first started their facility dog program back in 2015. Their first dog, Hunter, is now about to celebrate his 10 year service anniversary.
Missy Stover is an Assistant Director for Patient and Family Programs at Children’s Mercy. She says the dogs make a patient’s hospital experience easier in a variety of ways.
“The moment they see a dog walking into their room, it is just a game changer,” says Stover. “It’s such an unexpectedly pleasant experience for the patients and their family .”
Whether it’s motivation to walk or take their medicine, the dogs are there.
“It is beyond what any of us humans can provide in a healthcare setting” said Stover.
The dogs are often invited to participate when celebrity guests make an appearance. One of their Golden Retrievers, Jellybean, has even met Taylor Swift.
Ashley Berndt is the Executive Director of the American Cancer Society. She spoke on how the society provides PAWS grants, and Children’s Mercy is one of nine hospitals across the country that received a grant.
The hospital’s program received $10,000 from the ACS to cover costs around grooming and meeting the dog’s needs.
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The service-trained animals come from an organization called Canine Assistants in Atlanta. The dogs are bred, trained and raised from an early age where they are then partnered with a handler. If a dog is naturally more social as a puppy, it often means that it will be a better facility dog.
Each dog has a loving owner and home. At night and on the weekends, they enjoy living life as a normal dog - whether it’s play time in the backyard or going for walks.
There are many ways community can contribute to the American Cancer Society’s mission. Those interested can visit their website.
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