Having to go to the hospital isn’t the nicest experience for anybody, and it’s even harder for kids. The fluorescent-lit corridors, the scary machines, the fear of illness and pain – it can be too much for any child. But Southampton Children’s Hospital in the UK has a specially trained team just for that – and it’s consists of six golden retrievers.
Milo, Hattie, Quinn, Jessie, Leo, and Archie are Southampton Children’s Hospital’s therapy dogs. Their job is to help sick kids get through the hospital experience feeling as happy and safe as they can be.
While therapy dogs are becoming more and more common in all areas of life, the Southhampton Children’s Hospital’s therapy dogs go through special training and perform difficult, yet very important tasks.
They don’t only visit kids and console them between checkups and procedures – they also accompany them to different tests, and help the kids go through with them. If the child has to have an MRI, one of the dogs will lay in the machine, to show him it’s harmless. If a nurse has to check a child’s pulse, a dog will sit up straight and give her his paw.
The SCH therapy crew helps bring smiles to the kids’ faces – but it also brings a smile to ours.
