FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The first day on the job is nerve-wracking for most, but one new employee at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital was having a ball.
The cute bundle of fur is Goldie, the latest four-legged member of the hospital’s animal assisted therapy program.
On Thursday, Goldie became the sixth member of the pack, all of them bringing comfort and joy to young patients.
Lu Picard trained Goldie and says the pup is ready to go to work as a group therapist, or he can also help relieve stress with kids one-on-one.
“The tasks we teach the dog, things like get on my lap and stay there or snuggle up to me, bring me a toy and drop it, so there is no struggle between them,” said Picard.
Goldie got his official badge on Thursday and quickly went about the job of helping put big smiles on the faces of kids going through some tough times.
Sometimes it is a simple thing that mean the world.