The newest addition to The Children's pet therapy team is turning heads and putting smiles on the faces of young patients, their families, and staff. With his blonde hair and endearing brown eyes, Kitchi, a 2-year-old Goldendoodle, has joined the Hospital's Child Life Services team to help sick children get back on their feet!

For the past few months, Kitchi and his teammate Maya, a tiny Maltese Bichon who recently celebrated her 10th birthday, have been visiting patients in hematology-oncology, hemodialysis, psychiatry, and other departments of the Hospital. In exchange for a few treats and a scratch behind the ear, the two dogs volunteer once a week.

Pet therapy is a guided interaction between our young patients, two trained dogs and their handlers from Zoothérapie Québec. This incredibly popular program aims to make The Children’s environment a little more friendly for our families and to reduce the stress that many kids feel during their stay in the Hospital.

Now that Kitchi has joined the team, more children will be able to enjoy these calming and fun visits. The Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of its generous donors to the Pet Therapy Program: Sarah's Fund for Cedars and Ronnie's Joy Foundation in collaboration with Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada.