Meet Jude, a canine hero who brings comfort to sick kids before and after their surgery.
Dog owners know this well: there’s something therapeutic about having our pups around. Their wagging tails and adorable eyes help us decompress and temporarily forget our problems. But this isn’t something that happens to pet parents alone. In fact, in children’s hospitals, facility dogs are quite a common sight; they help soothe children prior to their surgeries and even assist professionals in healthcare settings. While this already sounds amazing, wait until you hear the story of Jude, a trained facility dog at Wolfson Children’s Hospital.
Jude is a golden retriever who works at Wolfson Children’s Hospital for forty hours per week. His mission? To become a source of love and comfort for sick children. At the hospital, Jude works alongside his owner Kara Williams. Kara is a Certified Child Life Specialist at the hospital, and sometimes, the two are inseparable when improving the motor skills of a young patient or bringing down their stress levels.
According to Kara, it seems like Jude can sense when the children aren’t feeling well. That’s when he lay on their beds or give them a comfort hold. Jude is a graduate of Canine Companions, an organization that provides service dogs to people with disabilities—free of charge. The organization relies on donations to cover training costs that are often valued at $50,000 for each dog.
How Jude is Transforming Children’s Hospital Experiences
During the first two years of Jude’s life, he was trained as a service dog; all the skills he acquired are now being used at the hospital. Aside from going on daily rounds with Kara, he also assists in prepping patients for surgery and calming them down when they need an IV. Sometimes, he’s just there to provide extra love and support that both the patients and their families need. Kara added that Jude can also be a good motivator during times when a patient needs to get off the bed and move from one place to another.
According to one young patient at the hospital, Bishop, the gentle golden retriever helps him forget about his painful tonsils. Another individual at the hospital testified about Jude’s healing power. Lelle Hamilton said that she’s with a child who has pneumonia and the medical professionals needed to put three chest tubes into her. Lelle shared that seeing Jude is calming for the child. The facility dog makes her smile and takes her mind off the situation. Jude also motivates her to walk around and play.
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What Facility Dogs Are Trained To Do
Some people think that facility dogs and therapy dogs are the same when they aren’t. The former is trained in specific tasks that allow them to assist professionals in various settings. Meanwhile, therapy dogs are trained to offer comfort and affection, and are usually owned by an individual.
According to Canine Companions, facility dogs are trained to perform commands like opening doors, picking up items, and providing calming pressure across a person’s lap. Facility dogs like Jude are also affectionate and reliable; they can be used by the handler to improve social interactions with patients.
If not at the hospital, facility dogs can be seen in a courthouse facility as they can build rapport with young witnesses and provide quiet companionship to vulnerable individuals. Meanwhile, facility dogs in military settings are expected to provide emotional support to those who are dealing with combat stress. These dogs are also trained to help patients recover from illnesses or injuries.
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From The Club
It seems like Jude and other facility dogs can light up every room they’re in. I love how they maintain their calmness in an environment that’s so busy and full of anxious people. Besides offering assistance to healthcare professionals, they’re like a beacon of hope and it’s heartwarming to see that they always offer love and support without a hint of judgement. I think that’s the kind of companionship that everyone deserves, especially when in scary places like hospitals.
