At a hospital in North Platte, Nebraska, one of the newest members of the care team has four paws, a wagging tail, and a knack for helping people through some of life's hardest moments.
Apollo, a two-year-old rescue golden mountain dog, has joined Great Plains Health's chaplain team — and on his very first shift, he helped comfort a family as they said goodbye to a loved one.
Here's what to know
At Great Plains Health, Apollo now works with Chaplain Brenda Lee, offering comfort to patients and families coping with the stress and uncertainty of hospitalization, according to KNOP. He is the first certified therapy dog on the hospital's chaplain team, where Lee oversees pastoral services and serves as senior staff chaplain.
Lee had been working toward something like this for years. Her doctoral thesis centered on animal-assisted therapy, which she saw as a way to reach people who might not otherwise seek pastoral care.
"I settled on animal-assisted therapy thinking that that would be another great way to connect with patients, even patients who never even thought about seeing a chaplain," Lee said, per KNOP. "But we come in together, and we try to bring that kind of hope and healing."
Apollo's certification through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs took over a year to complete. As part of that process, he was trained around wheelchairs, elevators, loud noises, and unsteady walkers so he could stay calm and not get distracted in a busy and loud medical space.
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One patient, Claudette Halstead, described Apollo's effect this way, according to KNOP: "Whether you're sick or you have sadness, there's something about that animal that really — it gives them a boost."
More background
Apollo's presence at the hospital is part of the chaplaincy team's emotional and spiritual support work, rather than simply being a volunteer making occasional visits.
As KNOP reported, Lee and Apollo were called on that first day to visit a room where family members were preparing to say goodbye to a loved one.
"It was a great test for him because they had all ages, from babies, teenagers, and adults," Lee said.
"It was funny; he would lick the toes of the little baby and make him laugh. And the teenager, he would sit on the floor and let the teenage girl hug him. You could just tell he just brings that sense of peace," she added.
What's being done?
The program pairs formal certification with training tailored to hospital environments and gives Apollo a specific role in patient care. His work focuses on reducing anxiety, offering companionship, and helping patients and families feel less alone.
Apollo was himself a rescue before taking on a role centered on comforting others.
Hospitals, cancer centers, and other care settings interested in similar programs can learn from this model by partnering with certified therapy dog organizations and building teams around trained staff members. People who want to support that kind of work locally can ask about volunteer partnerships, back rescue groups, and check out resources on how to take local action.
Adorable pups like Apollo can be an amazing way to help people facing even the worst circumstances. For Lee, Apollo's purpose is simple and powerful.
"He's just doing a wonderful job in just trying to bring down sometimes an anxiety-ridden situation and bring some peace and some calm, which was our original goal," she said.
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