DENVER — Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children has a unique duo walking through the halls and asking for belly rubs.
Lemon and Posey, two golden retriever and lab mixes, help provide ease to pediatric patients while they're receiving care.
On National Dog Day, Posey showed her talents in action, snuggling up to 9-year-old Tristan Harrington who needed a little extra love to get through his treatment.
"So, during the hardest part of the day is putting the needle in and the squeeze that goes here, and... she really just comforts me, like makes me forget about the needle and all of that," Tristan said.
Posey understood the job at hand, and while she quickly fell asleep from all the scratches, her presence made this part of Tristan's day a bit easier.
"I really just pet her and she lays down on me," he said.
Posey's hard work is recognized, as colorful notes fill a wall. It indicates the growing love for both Posey and Lemon inside the hospital.
"The push to get Posey in here was just that we needed that extra tool that helps us when we walk into a room with a patient to help them feel more comfortable, to help them feel more relaxed, to help them feel more at home," said Kara Hellums, child life specialist at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. "In the Rocky Mountain region, a lot of people have dogs, and having a dog present just automatically brings attention to the stress down."
Posey and Lemon were trained to be service dogs for two and a half years and learned 40 different commands. However, their personalities were recognized to better serve in a hospital with kids. The duo was able to come to the hospital thanks to support from Rocky Mountain Children's Health Foundation.
"They have very specific personality traits like they don't have big startle reflexes, they don't get bothered by people getting up in their faces and messing with them," Hellums said. "They're calm, but they can be energetic when you need them to be. And they're just soothing. They're very good listeners as well, they know what they're supposed to do."
Hellums has seen firsthand the impact Posey has not only on patients but on the entire family when times in the hospital can be extremely difficult.
"Sometimes in pediatrics, the moms and dads are experiencing a lot more stress and insomnia because they can anticipate things where our kiddos don't. And so, having this dog here to help them," Hellums explained. "Also in pediatrics, it can be harder for [parents] because it's harder to watch your child have to do hard things than to even do it yourself.
Hellums has been a child specialist for the past 29 years but says the last three have been the best thanks to Posey.
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