Waggy Tails and Puppy Dog Tales
October 2022 | Sit…Stay…PLAY is a warm, welcoming, calm and magical presence at Cook Children's. This program started with two facility dogs in 2014 and increased to six full-time dogs in 2021. The dogs are a part of the Cook Children's staff. They make their rounds at the medical center and at our outpatient facilities. Clocking in a 40-hour week, they're the experts at comforting patients, playing with kiddos and being a shining light for our Cook Children's staff. Our Sit…Stay…PLAY program features Steve, Brie, Kitty, Zuni, Chanel and Neely each with their own fun personalities. We're excited for the growth that's occurred to this program over the last eight years and can't wait to see where we go from here.
A goal of the program is to obtain more therapy dogs and gain access into some of the more high-stress areas of the hospital. Thanks to our wonderful donors, we're able to keep this valuable service free to our families and patients who need the love and comfort of these six dogs.
Related information
The Animal-Human Connection | How Pets Improve our Mental Health
Cook Children's Child Life Program
Cook Children's Child Life Specialists