Pediatric patients at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA are receiving warm and fuzzy -- as well as furry -- support with the launch of two new programs featuring UCLA's favorite dogs: the People-Animal Connection (PAC), an animal-assisted therapy organization that provides critically ill children and adults with companionship and comfort during their hospital stay.Pictured here is Lexi, a young patient reading to PAC dog Apollo in the new "Reading is the Way Up" program, which provides pediatric patients with an opportunity to improve their literacy skills by reading to therapy dogs. Partnering with UCLA in the program is City National Bank.
A new "tuck-in" program provides hospitalized children and adults with comforting visits from PAC volunteers and their pooches after dinner and before bedtime, when most family and friends have left for the day.
