CBS 8 Working Fur Kids Giveathon
Help Build a Professional Canine Therapy Program at Rady Children’s.
Tune in to the CBS 8 Working Fur Kids Giveathon to see stories of hope and healing at Rady Children’s and support the hospital’s vital Patient Experience Fund.
The Working Fur Kids Giveathon will bring joy, comfort, and companionship to local kids braving illness by helping build a Professional Canine Therapy Program at Rady Children’s. Through this program, certified therapists and expertly trained dogs will soothe, motivate, and support young patients—improving their experiences and outcomes.
Date & Time
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
5 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Watch through your cable provider, streaming or on the CBS8 app.
Our canine volunteers make approximately 15,000 bedside visits and 1,000 playroom visits each year.
About Our Volunteer Canine Program
Rady Children’s Hospital’s Volunteer Canine Program spreads smiles and joy to children spending time in the hospital and helps reduce the stress of childhood illness and hospitalization.
Through short visits to patient rooms by friendly, calm dogs and their volunteer handlers, young patients can pet, hug, and spend time with furry four-legged friends as a part of their healing journey. The program brings comfort and hope to children and their families, including a sense of home for those missing their own pet dogs.
Rady Children’s Hospital has canine volunteers of all sizes and a variety of breeds as part of this program. Each dog is escorted through the hospital by its handler/owner along with a volunteer escort. Social visits usually last about five minutes and take place with the consent of the patient, parent/guardian, and medical staff.
Along with decreasing stress, these visits:
- Provide warmth, comfort, and a sense of familiarity
- Offer “normal life” experiences
- Provide a distraction from pain, medical treatments, and daily hospital routines
- Encourage interaction and communication
- Bring laughter and smiles
Due to the overwhelming interest in our program and the very low attrition rate, we are not accepting applications at this time.
In the News
- How a Professional Canine Therapy Program Can Help Vulnerable Pediatric Patients | Working FUR Kids, CBS8.com
- Landon Shares How a Canine Companion Could Help Him and Others During Treatment | Working FUR Kids, CBS8.com
- How Medical Canine Therapy Can Be the Best Pediatric Medicine| Working FUR Kids, CBS8.com
- Health Care is Going to the Dogs—and That’s a Very Good Thing, Los Angeles Times, features Volunteer Services Manager Sylvie Sneep.