ATLANTA — A new dog is joining Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to help provide emotional support, the company announced.
According to a release, Pepa, a 2-year-old golden retriever, is the newest furry addition to the Children's Canine For Kids Program. The program's purpose is to help patients cope with illness and achieve treatment goals while they're at the hospital.
Pepa will join primary handlers Alison Mueller, who is a senior program coordinator at Children's support center, as well as Samantha Snellgrove, who is the lead Chaplain at Children's Egleston Hospital. Pepa will be with Mueller to support Heart Center and Transplant teams at patient and family events, education events, support groups and more. They will also make visits to patients to provide animal-assisted interventions.
Welcome Pepa | Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's newest facility dog
Pepa will then also work with Snellgrove to provide emotional support to patients, families and staff as a Chaplain at Children's Egleston Hospital and eventually Arthur M. Blank Hospital.
The healthcare company said that Pepa has some big pawprints to fill, as Mueller and Snellgrove previously worked with a dog named Uno, who served patients and families for 10 years.
"Uno passed away in 2023, but his love and care blazed the trail for Pepa to continue his legacy with countless patients to come," a release read. "She (Pepa) has some big pawprints to fill, but with her energetic spirit and loving personality, we know she is up to the challenge!"
According to the Children's website, the program has a "furry fleet of 11 specially trained pups." The first facility dog was Casper, who was welcomed to the staff in 2009. If a family is interested in a visit from one of the dogs during a hospital stay, one should ask a nurse or child life specialist.
