CINCINNATI (AP) — The first time 5-year-old Calvin Owens went outside in more than a month, he met up with his canine friend Hadley on a hospital patio. Despite being tethered to equipment with wires and tubes, the little boy managed to stand up near his wheelchair long enough to toss her a ball.
He smiled as she ran to fetch it. Caregivers cheered.
“Look how good you’re doing!” said Hadley’s handler, Schellie Scott.
I clearly need to touch grass, cause when I read that headline I was not thinking of actual animals, but humans in fur suit furries.
It’s hopeful that hospitals are investing in facility dogs, so they can be kept to a higher cleanliness routine and made available to a higher percent of patients who want their support. The comment one handler made about assisting a celebrity suggests to me more kids want time with the dogs - and would benefit via the lower pain, cortisol, etc. levels dog interaction provides - than the existing dogs have time or energy for.
I guess kids with allergies can’t go there.
My favorite thing on the Internet is posting something fun, light, and positive and then having negative people comment on it.
Thank you so much for sharing.
From a different article about facility dogs (https://courthousedogs.org/getting-started/challenges/):
Although allergies to dogs are fairly common, few people are affected by encountering a dog in a large, open public area similar to the lobby of a building or a courtroom.
Dog dander, the primary cause of dog allergies, is present in all public places, as it is carried on the clothes of the dog-owning public…
A… facility dog should be impeccably groomed, including being bathed frequently. Between baths, the animal can be wiped down with special pet wipes… Rugs and bedding that the dog uses will need to be washed weekly in hot water.
I hope this is not mandatory
