Happy Halloween from our AAT dogs

Every day, patients at the hospital and other locations can get a warm welcome from a furry friend if they request a visit through the Animal-Assisted Therapy Dog Program (AAT). To date, there are 78 teams – dogs and handlers – who visit 365 days a year. One of the highlights for patients is the annual Halloween parade, which took place on Saturday, October 25.

Earlier this month, NCH’s newest group of volunteers, Team 15, went through training to become NCH-certified.

“The group did a wonderful job with their first visits and in this group we have many families visiting with their dog,” says Kathy King, who coordinates the program. “We have three husband and wife teams, a mother/daughter team, and a husband, wife and daughter team.”

Dogs in the AAT Program visit an average of 1,000 patients per month.

Learn more about the program or get an application to join the AAT team. You can also make a charitable donation to the program by visiting the NCH Foundation and designating Animal-Assisted Therapy.