In my opinion, pets are family—they give us unconditional love, boost our spirits, and keep us active. At the hospital, whether you’re a patient, visitor, or team member, a dose of comfort from a pet can make all the difference.
Our Volunteer Services Pet Therapy program does just that by providing comfort and companionship to patients and staff through a group of 16 certified handler/pet teams. These teams must certify with respected organizations like Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Pet Partners or Love on a Leash and pass various tests, including the Canine Good Citizen test.
It takes special pets and people to go through the time and training needed to share their unique gifts. Our therapy dogs and their handlers are the perfect fit for what they do. Get to know a little bit about some of our incredible pet therapy teams:
Larry Brookshier has been visiting the medical center with his 7-year-old golden retriever, April Sweetie, since 2020. He travels 100 miles from Bedford, Virginia, two to three times a week to bring April to the Medical Center, Cancer Center, and Student Health. He says April is suited for this special line of work because she is great at cuddling and offering comfort, with some unique abilities, like sensing stress in others—and a magic trick or two. She is easily recognized by her signature pearls or another favorite necklace. Mr. Brookshier will tell you that his goal for every encounter is to put a smile on someone’s face and leave them happier and more content than when they first met.
Sally Scott is a retired nurse with a background in palliative care who has been involved in pet therapy for over 10 years. Her 8-year-old Papillon, Cato, is an AKC grand champion that has been spreading joy for four years at the Medical Center. While Cato still participates in dog shows and obedience trials, this therapy duo gets even greater satisfaction seeing people happy and able to cope with difficult situations. Ms. Scott and Cato even have a special trick up their sleeves where they help our younger patients build up the courage to take medicine by showing how Cato “took his medicine” (admittedly, it’s a dog treat).
Tom Newton is a local equine vet, who began raising puppies to become service dogs in his retirement. When his yellow lab, Lattice, was not accepted as a service dog, her training made her a perfect candidate for pet therapy. Lattice is now 6 years old. She and Dr. Newton have been making a positive impact on patients and team members at UVA Health for a year and half. Creating memorable moments for patients and their families is among the duo’s favorite rewards. In one special encounter, the husband of a patient with mobility issues placed his wife’s arms around Lattice for a much needed snuggle. The comfort Lattice brought to this couple was immediately visible, highlighting the special purpose of being part of this wonderful program.
Tina Gaines discovered the Bernese Mountain Dog breed in the mid-1990s and has been devoted ever since. Through her experience with the breed, Ms. Gaines found great joy in bringing a well-mannered, trained dog to visit patients and staff at hospitals. This devotion led Ms. Gaines to spend the past decade volunteering in pet therapy programs with eight of those years here at UVA Health. Today, her dog Sully shares his soothing presence throughout the Medical Center, visiting areas like the Infusion Center, 5E, and the Children’s hospital to provide comfort where it’s most needed. Most recently, Sully was able to pull his cart on the 7th floor, helping to deliver Halloween treats to patients and their families (see video).
Our pet therapy teams are here to offer emotional support to patients during those vulnerable moments and to lighten the load for team members navigating busy, stressful days. By providing the warm comfort of home and the magical healing power of pets, thanks to Volunteer Services and our Pet Therapy teams for sharing their special gifts with us all at UVA Health University Medical Center. I also want to recognize and thank the UVA Hospital Auxiliary for supporting the pet therapy program, including through the photography and trading cards that our team members and patients love to collect!
Take care and be well,
Wendy