Celebrating Savior
The Washington Greene Health Foundation, UPMC Washington, and UPMC Greene hosted a birthday celebration for one of our newest employees, Savior, our pet therapy dog, who turned one this week.
WGHF recently awarded VetPets of Southwestern Pennsylvania a grant to provide pet therapy services for UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene. This partnership enables VetPets to train and deploy therapy dogs like Savior to support patients, healthcare staff, veterans, first responders, and families experiencing trauma, stress, and crisis situations. Pet therapy programs have been shown to reduce anxiety, lower stress levels, and improve mental health and well-being.
During the celebration, staff sang “Happy Birthday” to Savior, and he was able to enjoy a pup-friendly cake made of carrots and peanut butter and topped with mashed potato and Greek yogurt icing prepared by his handler, Jennifer Kirschler, Senior Associate Counsel and Vice President of UPMC Health Services Group. UPMC staff members were thrilled to be able to visit Savior, pet and play with him, present him with gifts of toys and treats, and take photos with him.
“He’s a wonderful dog. He knows when he has his vest on that he has work to do, that he’s a therapy dog and the patients and the staff need him. When I take him home and take the vest off, he acts more like a puppy and runs around and plays,” said Kirschler. “Everybody loves to see him, and he loves to see them.”
Savior’s birthday bash served as the official launch of the UPMC Washington therapy dog program. Savior began making rounds visiting patients and employees four days a week in April.
Jayna Ronald, development coordinator with WGHF, said hospitals are increasingly incorporating pet therapy, as evidence shows that animals significantly boost patient and staff well-being, and their presence brings calm and comfort.
“Working in health care you see a lot of sad things and unfortunate things that happen, and that can be very heavy,” said Ronald, noting that healthcare workers encounter other stressful situations such as workplace violence. “So Savior coming around to visit the units and the staff really just brightens their day.”
Savior received his training at VetPets of Southwestern Pennsylvania, a nonprofit that trains dogs for emotional support, therapy dog, and service dog work, and he continues to attend weekly training sessions there with Kirschler. The grant that VetPets received for the therapy dog program was funded through local donors, including Mike and Tera Lauderbaugh and an anonymous contributor.
“It’s been really impactful to have him here these past couple of months officially as a UPMC employee,” said Ronald. “It is cool to hear the stories about what a difference he’s made and to see what an impact he has. We love him.”