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OHSU Doernbecher welcomes ‘Davis’ to Hospital Facility Dog Program

The specially trained 2-year-old golden retriever joins fellow hospital canine, Hope, in providing comfort to patients, families

MEDIA ALERT

WHAT: 

Meet OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital’s newest four-legged employee who is as handsome as he is cuddly.​

WHO: 

  • Dana Braner, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.C.C.M., Davis’ co-handler, Credit Unions for Kids chair and professor of pediatrics (critical care medicine), OHSU School of Medicine; and physician-in-chief, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital​

  • Kristin Knight, L.C.S.W., Davis’ co-handler and clinical social worker (critical care medicine) at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

  • Davis, vice chair of canine affairs, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

  • Hope, chief canine officer, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

  • OHSU Doernbecher patients and families​​

WHEN: 

Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 10 a.m.​​

WHERE: 

OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
700 S.W. Campus Drive, Portland, OR
Parking is available in Garage F, accessible via S.W. Campus Drive. (Map here)

DETAILS: 

In 2015, OHSU Doernbecher introduced Hope, a now 5-year-old English cream golden retriever, as its first full-time hospital facility dog. The children’s hospital is expanding its program to include Davis, a 2-year-old standard golden retriever.

With the addition of Davis, Doernbecher becomes the only children’s hospital in the Pacific Northwest, and one of only a handful across the United States, to employ more than one full-time facility dog.

Hope and Davis are specially trained by Assistance Dogs of Hawaii and Assistance Dogs Northwest to provide love and companionship to young hospital patients and their families, as well as Doernbecher staff.

The presence of Hope and Davis at Doernbecher was made possible by Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Foundation board member Kate McCoy and her family.

Editors: News crews should be present in the first-floor lobby of OHSU Doernbecher by 9:45 a.m. A media relations specialist will escort crews to the media availability.

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