University Hospitals Receives $150K Grant From PetSmart Charities®

CLEVELAND, Ohio – University Hospitals and PetSmart Charities know pets have the remarkable ability to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, improve mood and offer unconditional love. That’s why, with the help of a $150,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, University Hospitals is excited to bring four additional facility dogs to its health system over the next two years.

University Hospitals welcomed its first full-time facility dogs to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital last fall. 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. Unlike volunteer therapy dogs, facility dogs are trained with their UH employee handler to assist in duties of their specific work environment.

“The facility dogs have made an extraordinary impact on our patients and staff in their first months of work at University Hospitals and we are grateful to PetSmart Charities for their support to expand our program,” says Diane Pekarek, Marion C. Risman & Family Endowed Pet Pals Coordinator at UH. “The dogs’ presence in the hospital brings some normalcy to kids and young adults, especially during the coronavirus pandemic where visitor and volunteer restrictions are in place to protect to our patients.”

This is the second grant UH has received from PetSmart Charities. Earlier this year, UH and PetSmart Charities announced a $85,000 grant for two facility dogs to UH Cleveland Medical Center – one dog will be working at UH Seidman Cancer Center and another with the UH Employee Assistance Program. A portion of those grant funds also support ongoing research on the impact of pets and patient outcomes.

“PetSmart Charities is thrilled to help University Hospitals expand it Pet Pals program,” said Kelly Balthazor, community grants manager at the national charity. “Children and pets often share a special bond, and we’re happy to provide our support to this program that promotes the healing power of the human-animal bond while providing a healthy diversion from a pandemic modified environment.”

Across North America, PetSmart Charities has granted more than $2.3 million to support animal assisted therapy programs. Funding from PetSmart Charities supports best practices that enhance the human-animal bond. Since 1994, the leading funder of animal welfare has donated more than $450 million to improve access to veterinary care, to help preserve families, to positively impact communities, and to connect people and pets through initiatives like the facility dogs program at UH.

In addition to its facility dog program, University Hospitals offers Pet Pals, an animal assisted intervention program that uses trained volunteers and their adult dogs, in-room visits to adults and children who would enjoy the company of a furry friend. One cat, one mini horse, and a mobile aquarium therapy program are also part of the Pet Pals.