Credit Union for Kids helps Cooks Children’s add furry staffers

A warm and fuzzy hug can help anyone feel better. A dog's healing presence is known to have a positive influence on wellness. That's the driving force behind Sit...Stay...PLAY, the facility dog program at Cook Children's in Fort Worth, Texas.

Interacting with a dog can help children—and their family members—feel more at ease by reducing stress and anxiety. At Cook Children's, they have professionally trained dogs on staff through a partnership with Canine Assistants, a service dog agency in Georgia. A team of employees has been trained as the dogs' handlers, and each day the dogs come to work to serve as part of the hospital’s therapeutic environment. Whether the dogs come in and just sit by a child's side or help them recover from a procedure, there are added health benefits... and lots of happy tales!

Cook Children's recently announced its newest four-legged employees. Steve and Brienne officially started work as full-time employees last week, due in part to generous donations from Credit Unions for Kids.

“Cook Children’s is so grateful to Credit Unions for Kids for their generous support of our Sit…Stay…PLAY facility dog program,” said Karol Johnson, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals specialist. “The funds they have raised helped us grow this program and sustain this program for years to come. Seeing the joy and happiness on a patient’s face when interacting with one of our dogs is truly special.”