Not all heroes wear capes - or have opposable thumbs. This hero has four legs, a tail and a big heart. Reggie, a four-year-old golden retriever, brings hope and love to patients and families at Children’s Health Care of Atlanta.
As part of the hospital’s Canines for Kids program, Reggie is a beloved, furry friend who gives support and comfort to patients when they need it the most.
“He just has such a fun personality. He loves to snuggle, he loves to work, but he just loves to make people laugh by being a goofball,” Reggie’s owner and handler, Kara Klein, said. “It’s so great to see him in the hospital and to see him make a difference, whether that is by helping motivate a patient or by making them laugh.”
Credit: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Credit: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Reggie is responsible for answering consult requests from hospital staff and helping wherever he is needed. Unlike other dogs in the program, Reggie is not assigned to one specific unit at the hospital. He operates throughout the hospital and even attends special events and fundraisers.
Outside of Children’s Health Care of Atlanta, Reggie often visits the Louise and Brett Samsky Preschool at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta. He helps the students at the school learn social skills by creating an encouraging, fun environment.
“During my time working with Children’s [Health Care of Atlanta], I was able to see how the presence of Reggie simply lit up an entire room with smiles,” Children’s Health Care of Atlanta spokeswoman Kaylie Beacham said. “Reggie is truly a superstar!”
At the beginning of each workday, his handler asks the medical team what Reggie can do to help specific patients reach their treatment goals. The duo then go room to room, spending time with patients and offering individualized care.
“Our dogs have this innate ability to know what a patient needs from them at that moment,” Klein said. “Reggie knows when to be serious, but he also knows how to be silly and make someone laugh.”
One request Reggie received was to help motivate a teenage boy recovering from a recent spinal surgery. With Reggie’s reassurance, the physical therapist was able help the patient out of bed and on walk around the unit. At one point, the young patient even held Reggie’s leash and walked him around the floor. Klein was excited to see other clinicians recognize and celebrate Reggie’s encouragement and positive influence on patients.
“As a kid who was frequently in the hospital for testing and procedures, the presence of the therapy dogs really helped to ease some of the anxiety that comes along with it,” former patient Brie Buckfelder said. “I really appreciated when they would come visit me before tests and give me some encouragement.”
Credit: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Credit: Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Canines for Kids began in 2009, when Children’s Health Care of Atlanta welcomed facility dog Casper to the team. It was the first hospital-based facility dog program in the country. Over time, it has encouraged hospitals nationwide to adopt similar programs.
The program now has a crew of 11 dogs across Children’s Health Care of Atlanta’s three hospital locations: Egleston, Scottish Rite and Hughes Spalding. Reggie joined the Canines for Kids staff in April 2022 after completing specialized training to work in the hospital.
Children’s Health Care of Atlanta facility dogs train for a year and a half to two years with Canine Assistants, a nonprofit organization that trains and places service dogs across the nation. Part of their training is in a real hospital to become familiar with the noises and smells before they are assigned.
When he isn’t working as a facility dog at Children’s, Reggie is a skilled swimmer and enjoys playing fetch in the water with his family at home.
“I just think what our dogs do is truly magic,” Klein said. “I’m very privileged to be able to be the one who’s holding his leash.”
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