OUR PHYSICIANS

Dog Assisted Therapy is a therapy that strategically incorporates the child-animal interaction anxiety and encourage confidence in pediatric patients who may otherwise be anxious about seeing a healthcare provider or undergoing treatment.

Get Healthy, Get a Dog The Health Benefits of Canine Companionship, A Harvard Medical School Special Health Report 2014, describes the benefits of animal interactions:

“Animal-assisted therapy dogs are trained to provide companionship and comfort to people in hospitals — to distract them from pain and worry about their illness, for instance, and to relieve boredom and boost their mood.”

• Interacting with dogs is calming for humans (and for dogs)
• Decreases release of stress hormone cortisol
• Lowers stress-related increases in heart rate & blood pressure
• People report less fear and anxiety when petting a dog
• Petting a dog leads to release of oxytocin, hormone and brain chemical secreted by the pituitary gland during social bonding
• Dogs can reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness

Millie joined the family at GI for Kids in December of 2018 at 9 weeks of age. She is a black double doodle (half goldendoodle/half labradoodle) and is as curly as they come. Millie is officially registered as a therapy dog through Therapy Dogs International, and is recognized as a Canine Good Citizen and Novice Trick Dog through the American Kennel Club.

When she isn’t at work or school, Millie enjoys eating Cheerios, going to the dog park, chasing birds, playing with her fur brother and sister, and driving her mom (our infusion nurse, Lacey) crazy.