Two therapy divisions at an Ohio hospital were given an epic farewell party after serving their children for nearly a decade.
Leica and Chevrolet, two 10-year-old Golden Retriever/Lab/Poodle Mixed Dog and Dog Assistant Graduates, a nonprofit that trains and provides care dogs, said earlier this month to a position at Cincinnati Children’s I’ll tell you. There are plenty of embraces and kisses by other guests, including staff from the 5 hospitals and members of local media.
A Leica handler and childlife specialist at Cincinnati Children’s Kelly Burkett told USA Today on Friday that she was overwhelmed by all the love her dogs had at the party.
“So many staff members said that both (dogs) had an impact on their time here (and) they can see the dog one last time and have that moment (say) goodbye He said he had a Billket, and many staff members even asked the kids “please say hello to the dogs,” Billket said.
“It was really great to see the staff come out and have the moments that end the experience with the dog,” Burkett said.
Do you need a break? Play USA Today Daily Crossword Puzzle.
“It’s just like chaos.”
The party was emotional for humans, but Cincinnati children’s spokesman Eric DeFreau told USA Today that two dogs had exploded.
“(Whenever they get together, it’s just like a mess,” Defreeuw laughed. “They’re not brothers, but they’re just running and rolling into each other.”
Defreeuw said that Chevy and Leica were unable to get the opportunity to frequently interact professionally due to different challenges, but the two said, “I’ll go in a bit, but they’ll have their own party. Because they are there, it’s very interesting to see them.
“They’re running around, they’re doing their own thing. They seem to be in their happy place,” Defreeuw said.
We have been serving patients since 2016
Leica joined Cincinnati Children’s in February 2016. Named after actor Chevrolet Chase, Chevrolet joined in November 2016 a few months later. Leica’s main focus was the outpatient and adaptive care team and Chevy. We provided hospitalized units at the hospital’s Burnett campus.
Chevy handler and childlife specialist Katie Bradford told USA Today that Chevy held children of all kinds, from “intensive care people to children who were in hospital for a short period of time.”
“We follow children while in hospital, especially for longer-term patients and patients who are more seriously ill, even if they actually build relationships and have actually built relationships with them.” Bradford said. “It was really great to be able to bring normality to an unnormal environment and bring comfort and joy to a truly physically painful, mentally exhausting, and undoubtedly ultra-emotional experience.”
Life after retirement
After a long and illustrious career, both Chevy and Leica look forward to chilling and relaxing during their retirement, their handlers said. Leica officially retired in December 2024, and Chevrolet retired this month.
“I’m really looking forward to giving her a lot of one-on-one time,” Burkett said.
Burkett said Leica has a cheeky personality and spends most of her time with her (and) when we first met, making her feel as comfortable and enjoyable as she has for years. In particular, she loves that she is the center of her fun, but she shares it and hopes that. ”
Leica’s favorite things include spending time with family, long walks, playing with her favorite toys, squeaking balls, and naps and hugs.
Chevrolet hopes to do the same during his retirement.
“Unfortunately, he’s at a point where he can’t maintain his pace to go to work and is not able to get engaged as much as he used to,” Bradford said. “So he gets lots of pets from the people he loves most, spends a lot of time in the backyard and takes lots of naps.”
Chevy’s favorites include belly scuffs and booty scars, showing off his favorite toy, a stuffed animal.
“It was a really great experience,” Bradford said of his time with Chevrolet in the hospital. “It was really cool to see so many people coming out. (For example) Chevrolet was something I remembered from being in the hospital. (But) for them, it really stood out. did.”
“We worked this for almost nine years and how incredible the impact it was,” she added.
However, Leica and Chevy plan to serve the healthcare system as ambassadors and make a visit for special events and fundraisers, so they are happy to keep warm. Chevrolet wants to spread out, cheer, and occasionally visit his friends as official ambassadors.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA Today. Contact her at sshafiq @gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.