Pet Pals Healing Paws

Thank You for Your Support

Thank you for supporting the 2022 Pet Pals Yappy Hour event. Your support benefits Pet Pals, the pet therapy program at University Hospitals. This program uses trained volunteers and their adult dogs to make short, in-room visits to adults and children who would enjoy the company of a furry friend.

Therapy and Facility Dogs

In the fall of 2020, UH welcomed its first full-time facility dogs to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. Unlike therapy dogs, facility dogs are trained with their handler to assist in duties of their specific work environment. Melena, a two-year-old Golden Retriever, works in pediatric hematology and oncology and Starbucks, a two-year-old Chocolate Labrador, works in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Both dogs are specially trained to keep children calm before, during and after medical procedures. They provide comfort and support to staff, patients and family members in a hospital setting. The pet therapy program uses trained volunteers and their adult dogs, in-room visits to adults and children who would enjoy the company of a furry friend. One cat, one pony, and a goldfish are also part of the Pet Pals program.

How You Can Help

As the Pet Pals Program continues to grow across the health system, additional support is needed. The costs associated with the program include training for both the dog and dog owner, semiannual lab testing of animals, education on hospital policies for volunteers and support materials. Make a gift online today to support the Pet Pals Program or contact Amy Einhorn at Amy.Einhorn@UHhospitals.org to establish a named Pet Pals Fund with a gift of $25,000 or more, which will support critical programming for this program.