PetsRx Animal-Assisted Programs
PetsRX
Did you know that the presence and support of animals has been shown to improve emotional regulation, reduce stress levels, and enhance overall wellbeing? That is foundation for the Children’s of Alabama PetsRX Animal-Assisted Programs, each program aiming to help patients and families cope with and navigate their healthcare journey.
Medical Dog Program Sponsored by Nucor SteelIn June 2023, Children’s of Alabama welcomed our first medical dog, Wanda. Combined with the expertise of her handlers and child life specialists, Wanda assists patients through goal-directed interventions. She comes alongside patients by helping them cope, heal and achieve treatment goals while at the hospital.
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Medical Dog FAQs
Our medical dogs began their training at only a few days old at Canine Assistants, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and training hospital service dogs. Their specialized training and sweet demeanor allows them to be fully prepared for their daily work in the hospital.
Medical dogs receive highly specialized training through a bond-based teaching method. This method focuses on a dog’s ability to understand their environment and their handler’s needs, which differs from traditional command-based training. You may not see our medical dogs doing many tricks, but they are able to perform valuable tasks when helping patients meet their medical goals!
Our medical dogs and their handlers spend their days seeing many patients throughout the hospital and are only able to make a limited number of visits each day. We do our best to prioritize and see patients according to therapeutic need and while we attempt to accommodate requests, we are not able to guarantee a visit from a medical dog. For more information about our medical dogs and all of our animal-assisted programs at Children’s of Alabama, please speak with your unit child life specialist.
Medical dogs aim to provide goal-oriented interventions with the direction of a certified child life specialist. As a team, the medical dogs and their handlers help calm patients during procedures, encourage mobility following surgeries, comfort patients who have experienced trauma and even demonstrate how to take certain medications.
Meet Our Medical Dogs
Wanda is a golden retriever who joined the Child Life and Education team in 2023 as the first Medical Dog at Children’s of Alabama. She works alongside her handlers and child life specialists throughout the hospital and is able to meet patients and families in a variety of areas. When she is not working, Wanda loves to play outside, roll around in her favorite grassy spots, and take nice long naps.
Sydney is a golden retriever and the second Medical Dog who joined the Child Life and Education team in 2025. Sydney works alongside her child life specialist handlers to provide support to patients and families receiving care for cancer or blood disorders in the Hematology/Oncology department. When she is notworking, Sydney loves to play fetch, go on walks, and make new friends!
Hand-in-PawHand-in-Paw (HIP) is a long-time and beloved partner at Children’s of Alabama. Each HIP team helps make the hospital feel more comfortable for patients who are away from their pets or who could benefit from a friendly bedside visit. HIP teams visit Children’s of Alabama frequently and can greatly impact a child’s stay. These visits provide opportunities to enhance the quality of life while creating positive emotions. While we cannot guarantee a visit, our volunteer teams do their best to see as many patients as possible. To request a Hand-in-Paw visit, please get in touch with Volunteer Services for more information. |
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The Alabama H.E.R.O ProgramThe HERO program is a statewide Certified Facility Dog Program to assist in helping victims throughout the criminal process. The Office of Prosecution Services executes the program and is funded by a grant reward through ADECA. The Children’s Hospital Intervention and Prevention Services Center (CHIPS Center) utilizes this program to assist in the healing journey for suspected victims of child abuse. The H.E.R.O dogs help children during forensic medical exams and throughout the therapeutic process. Learn more: https://opsheroinfo.org/ |
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P.U.P.S.The P.U.P.S. Program (Pups Unleashing Patient Smiles) is an animal-assisted activity program at Children's South. Shelby and Foster are poodles who are trained to work in therapeutic settings. They assist patients in bringing a sense of comfort, peace and joy to the healthcare environment. Not only do these poodles bring comfort to our patients and families, but also to our staff. While we cannot guarantee a visit, Shelby and Foster will do their best to see as many patients as possible. |
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