East Tennessee Children's Hospital Has a New Employee: A Comfort Dog Named, Farley

Knoxville, TN  - One of the newest employees at East Tennessee Children's Hospital is a four-legged friend whose job is to brighten the days of folks around the facility.

Farley, a golden retriever puppy born in October 2016, is the hospital's first-ever full-time facility support animal.

The lovable canine will take on her new job in memory of a former patient.

The idea for ETCH to get a facility dog came from 16-year-old oncology patient Kristyn Farley, explained  Sue Wilburn, who is the V.P. of Human Resources and Farley's caretaker and handler.

Kristyn died last year but she had a passion for dogs and greater access to them while in ETCH's care, explained Wilburn.

A grant from PetSmart Charities helped the hospital get the facility dog and hospital volunteers set up a fund to cover daily expenses.

Christina Ryskamp, store leader at PetSmart Knoxville located at West Town Mall, nominated the hospital to receive the grant.

“For years, our team has worked with East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to collect and donate plush toys to bring a smile to the faces of its pediatric patients during the holiday season. Seeing the reaction of those children inspired us to want to do more,” said Ryskamp.

It'll still be a bit of time before Farley moves into her full-time position. For now, she's working in the Human Resources department and will soon begin a 6-week puppy training program.

Before interacting with patients Farley must complete a comprehensive training program, undergo temperament evaluations and be at least a year old. She'll primarily be a staff dog but will be available to visit with patients, when a volunteer therapy dog isn't available.

FOLLOW US!

Shelter Pets More Popular Than Ever

Getting a new dog or cat? Over sixty percent of people planning on bringing home a new pet say they're going to adopt.

The PetSmart Charities 2014 U.S. Shelter Pet Report finds that 66 percent of people considering bringing home a new pet say they would adopt their new furry friend instead of going to a breeder or other source. That's up from 58 percent in 2011.

Spaying and neutering is also on the rise. Eighty-six percent of pets are now spayed or neutered, up from 80 percent in 2009.

Put those figures together with increased pet ownership -- the report finds 81 percent of households now have a cat or dog (or both), up from 60 percent in 2009 -- and they amount to a real boon for homeless pets.

(To subscribe to The Pet Tree House, click on this icon
in the black drop-down menu on your right. Thank you.)

Visit my blog! The News Whisperer, An informative blog of what's going on in your world today!
 at: www.whispersoftheworld.com

FOLLOW US!

We Love Shelter Pets! According To This Report, You Do Too

Shelter pets are the best! You know it, we know it and a new report shows we're far from alone in holding -- possibly also hugging and cuddling -- this belief.

The PetSmart Charities 2014 U.S. Shelter Pet Report finds that 66 percent of people considering bringing home a new pet say they would adopt their new furry friend instead of going to a breeder or other source. That's up from 58 percent in 2011.

To read more on this story, click here: We Love Shelter Pets! FOLLOW US!

Study Results: Adopt or Purchase a Pet?

A new study from PetSmart Charities found that two-thirds of those surveyed said they would adopt a pet rather than purchase one from a pet store or breed.

Almost 3,000 people who live with cats and dogs participated in PetSmart Charities’ 2014 Shelter Pet survey. Among the findings, 81 percent of those surveyed said they own a dog and/or a cat. That percent is significantly higher from just three years ago, when it was 63 percent. Another 40 percent of respondents said they have donated time or money to support shelter cats and dogs. That number jumped up 29 percent, from three years ago.

To read more on this story, click here: Study Results: Adopt or Purchase a Pet? FOLLOW US!