MADISON, Wis. – Thanks to community support, a volunteer program at American Family Children’s Hospital that lets hospitalized kids cuddle with dogs almost every day has been thriving for two years now.
Caring Canines was launched in 2023 to expand the hospital’s efforts to help patients and families cope with the uncertainty of a hospital stay. The primary goal of the visits is to offer a feel-good, social visit allowing for normalization, according to Brianna Peterson, child life specialist and canine program coordinator, UW Health Kids.
When the program was announced in 2023, there were 440 applicants to participate. After rigorous testing for obedience and temperament, 26 dogs were ultimately chosen to join the Caring Canines program. Each volunteer brings their dog for visits twice a month for two hours, which enables UW Health Kids to have visits almost every day on three approved inpatient units to eligible patients, according to Peterson.
“This program would not be possible without the huge response from the community, so we are incredibly grateful,” she said.
Caring Canines hopes to expand this year into more units to service more children daily, but the right dogs are needed, according to Peterson.
“Breed, age or size are not as important as excellent obedience and the right temperament,” she said. “The enthusiasm from the community has been extraordinary, but we want folks to know only about 10 to 15% of the dogs that applied that we tested for temperament were the right fit for a hospital setting.”
“Every dog has great qualities, and while they might be a wonderful pet, they might not be what we need,” Peterson said. “We are a place of business with sick, injured or resting children so we must prioritize safety and allow for staff to conduct business as usual.”
To pass temperament testing to be in the program, all dogs must:
- Sit and lie down with only one command.
- Stay until called with only one command.
- Walk in heel position, with a relaxed leash, not pulling even when excited.
- Perform commands without treats as a reward.
- Not excessively bark, howl or whine.
- Be up to date on all required vaccines and annual testing which include rabies, DHPP, leptospirosis, Bordetella and heartworm and fecal testing.
The rules are strict because there can’t be a dog barking or lunging towards a patient on the unit. The health and well-being of patients and staff come first, according to Peterson.
It is important for any new applicant to carefully review the specific temperament rules before applying, she said.
“These visits mean so much to the kids which is why we are searching for a dog with exceptional obedience,” Peterson said. “It never gets old seeing a kid’s face light up when a dog comes in the room for a cuddle.”
This program is different from the Canine Health and Medical Pals, or CHAMPs, facility dog program, where four specialty-trained dogs, work along staff 40 hours a week using specific coping plans with patients in certain units in the hospital.
Caring Canines replaced the Pet Pals therapy program at UW Health, which began in 1996, but ended in the pandemic. Pet Pals was a group of volunteer dogs who provided comfort and cuddles to patients in a group setting twice a week for a few hours.
Caring Canines is funded solely through philanthropic efforts.
For more information, visit UWHealth.org/caring-canines or email afchcaringcanine@uwhealth.org.
