One of the children’s hospital’s newest employees is a 2-year-old Labrador Retriever who can be found walking through the halls with primary handler Brittany Ferran and eliciting smiles wherever she goes.
After completing a two-week training course in Oceanside, Ferran works intimately with Haines as she provides comfort and support to patients during recovery and extensive stays. Haines knows more than 40 commands, from holding objects in her mouth to exerting deep pressure during procedures or moments of anxiety. Ferran believes her new colleague can “provide that extra love and comfort and joy that our patients and families and staff all need,” before returning home with her to be a “normal” dog. (Other health-care providers have embraced similar programs. UCI Health, for example, has a Pet Therapy Program with trained volunteer handlers and dogs registered through Pet Partners.)
Calm and energetic, Haines was selected by Canine Companions to match the needs of the hospital. Throughout her shifts (which include breaks), Haines works with children of all ages and their families, and her secondary handler, Ariel Craig, says she can “bring (patients) some moments of joy when they are going through the hardest days of their lives.”
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