Polly may not wear a white coat, but the Labrador Retriever has a remarkable bedside manner.
The dog recently visited an 8-year-old cancer patient at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein (CHAM). After doctors removed the child’s breathing tube and reduced the sedative medications, the patient began experiencing tremors.
“When Polly was present in the bed with this patient, they calmed significantly and their tremors were noticeably less frequent,” Katy Dessick, Polly’s handler and a certified child life specialist, told The Post.
Polly helped soften what Dessick called “an extremely difficult and emotional experience” for the child and their parents, who witnessed the difference the dog made.
That brief encounter highlights the broader role of facility dogs — specially trained canines who work alongside health care professionals. Beyond offering a welcome break from hospital routines, the dogs can help children manage anxiety, face intimidating procedures and create emotional space to cope with serious illness.
Research supports those observations. In a 2023 study of medical staff at a Japanese children’s hospital, 73% of respondents who had seen facility dogs in action said the animals “Always” or “Very often” helped patients cooperate with treatment, medical procedures and end-of-life care.
At CHAM in the Bronx and Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, those benefits are delivered by Polly, 4, and Lev, a 7-year-old Labrador Retriever who works in Maimonides’ pediatric unit.
Helping kids open up
A serious illness can disrupt a child’s entire sense of normalcy. Long hospital stays, invasive procedures and time away from family and friends may leave young patients frightened, anxious and uncertain about how to process what is happening.
Dr. Adit L. Tal, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at CHAM, told The Post that children being treated for blood disorders and cancer often have difficulty expressing their feelings to doctors, nurses and other members of the medical team.
Facility dogs can help bridge that communication gap.
“A facility dog gives them the comfort to open up more,” Tal said. “In the presence of the dog, I see our patients become more calm and speak more freely to me and the medical team.”
The benefit extends beyond younger children. Dessick has also seen teenagers become more comfortable around Polly, including during therapeutic art projects designed to help patients explore and express their emotions.
“One of Lev’s favorite things is getting treats from the patients. And the kids absolutely love being the ones who get to give them to him.”
Gabriel, Lev’s handler
Polly has worked with Dessick for nearly three years, visiting children in CHAM’s inpatient and outpatient pediatric specialties. Her calm temperament helps Dessick manage emotionally challenging moments, while Polly’s adaptability enables patients with a range of physical abilities to interact with her comfortably.
“Polly has a way of making each person she interacts with feel special,” Dessick said.
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Lev provides a similar source of comfort at Maimonides. His handler, Gabriel, has been with him since the dog was just a few weeks old.
“Lev gives them a chance to focus on something completely different,” Gabriel said. “For a few minutes, it can be less about being a patient and more about petting a dog, giving him a treat, laughing and just being a kid again.”
Four-legged motivation
Facility dogs can also encourage children through the more difficult, less cuddly aspects of medical care.
When patients hesitate to take part in physical therapy, get out of bed for a walk or follow a treatment plan, a dog’s presence can give them an extra reason to try, Tal explained. The animals may also help children manage fears related to medication, central line insertions and upcoming procedures.
The effect includes patients not requiring as much pain medication, she pointed out.
The dogs’ influence can extend beyond the children they visit. Caring for seriously ill patients and supporting distressed families takes an emotional toll on medical professionals, too. Facility dogs can offer staff a moment of calm amid the intensity of hospital work.
“Our jobs can be emotionally taxing, and having the dog there to keep calm has been imperative to our well being,” said Tal.
A 2022 study of pediatric hospital personnel found that staff associated facility dogs with improved workplace morale and well-being, as well as stronger rapport with patients and families.
At CHAM and Maimonides, facility dog programs operate with support from EnCourage Kids Foundation, a New York City-based nonprofit that works with hospitals to improve the pediatric experience through initiatives such as pet and music therapy.
A little less hospital, a little more childhood
For all the serious work Polly and Lev do, their hospital shifts also include plenty of play.
“One of Lev’s favorite things is getting treats from the patients,” said Gabriel. “And the kids absolutely love being the ones who get to give them to him.”
The dogs also welcome a good-old fashioned belly rub, stretching out on the floor to let their young patients and visitors return the affection.
They’re still very good boys and girls, after all.
For Gabriel, those unscripted moments capture the point of the visits.
“A child who may have been quiet, nervous or having a difficult day can suddenly be smiling, petting Lev and interacting with him,” said Gabriel.
“That is really what these visits are about, giving the children a little comfort, happiness and normalcy, and helping them forget about the hospital experience, even if it is only for a little while.”
