This Sweet Dog Was Just Hired To Work At A Children’s Hospital To Help Relieve Anxiety And Stress
The Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, Florida, has recently welcomed a new, four-legged employee.
On March 21st, the hospital officially welcomed Parks, a 2-year-old Labrador retriever, as a facility dog.
Not to be confused with a therapy dog, Parks will not only be brought around patients to help relieve emotional stress and anxiety but has also been trained to learn over 40 commands that will allow him to interact with patients and complete helpful tasks.
Some of the things Parks can do is pull toy wagons, retrieve certain items and push drawers closed.
Parks has also been trained to be mindful of and walk alongside medical equipment like wheelchairs, assistant devices, and other machines specific to a hospital setting. What a good boy!
Parks was trained and donated to the children’s hospital by Canine Companions, a non-profit organization that raises money to train service dogs at no charge for those who need them.
In a video made by the hospital, a young hospital patient named Makiyah describes playing with Parks and how the time she has spent with him makes her happy.
“Even though we’re still very new to this, Parks has been doing a really great job making a difference in some of our patients,” says Kimberly Burbage, Parks’ handler and child life specialist at the hospital.
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children; pictured above is Kimberly with Parks
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Kimberly describes how Parks has helped inspire children to challenge themselves by getting up and moving in ways that they used to be resistant about.
“They smile, they play, and they get very excited to have his presence at the hospital.”
Kimberly has only been working with Parks for a month but has already made amazing progress with him and receives all the training she needs from Canine Companions.
When Parks isn’t working hard at the hospital Monday-Friday, he is living with Kimberly full-time.
Although the cost of raising and training a service dog can go upwards of $50,000, Canine Companion was able to provide the hospital with Parks through the support of donations and volunteers.
“I can already see the impact he is making with our children and adolescents,” Kimberly told the hospital’s press team.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to partner with Parks bringing in some great therapeutic benefit and normalcy to the patients here at the hospital.”
Thanks for all your hard work, Parks!
To read more about Kimberly, Parks, and Canine Companions, visit the link here.
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More About:Human Interest