University Hospitals Welcomes its First Specially Trained Facility Dogs

CLEVELAND – University Hospitals welcomed its first full-time facility dogs to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. Melena, a two-year-old Golden Retriever, will be working in pediatric hematology and oncology; Starbucks, a two-year-old Chocolate Labrador, will be working in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Both dogs are specially trained to keep children calm before, during, and after medical procedures. They provide comfort and support to staff, patients and family members in a hospital setting. Today, their presence at the hospital is even more beneficial, with COVID-19 visitor and volunteer restrictions in place.

“Melena and Starbucks have made an extraordinary impact on our patients and staff in their first few weeks of work at University Hospitals,” says Diane Pekarek, coordinator of the Pet Pals and Facility Dog programs at UH. “Their presence brings some normalcy to kids and young adults while they are in the hospital, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.”

Funding for Melena and Starbucks came from donors Anita and Raju Modi, and a UH community event group called Pet Pals Healing Paws, led by Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation Trustee and Samuel Mather Society member Trish Risman and her co-chair Sarah Oliverio. Pet Pals Healing Paws held a fundraising event last year and plans to continue to raise funds to support additional facility dogs for UH in the future.

Unlike therapy dogs, facility dogs are trained with their handler to assist in duties of their specific work environment. At UH Rainbow, Melena is handled by two child life specialists in the hematology and oncology division. A nurse and a social worker in the child and adolescent psychiatry unit handle Starbucks. Both dogs help patients cope with illness and hospitalization.