EIGHT-YEAR-OLD OLLIE IS the first therapy dog to join the Paediatric Unit at University Hospital Galway.

Ollie, a Malshi, works at the hospital every Thursday. He dons his Irish Therapy Dog uniform after a “thorough brushing and grooming” and spends time with children at the unit. 

Irish Therapy Dogs’ mission is to provide physical, therapeutic, and educational benefit to people, particularly in hospitals, nursing homes, day care centres, and schools. They are also brought to other places where people may be restricted from having pets, and “where the presence of dogs and their owners will add comfort and support”.

Some universities, including the University of Galway, will bring a therapy dog to the campus around exam time to help students unwind.

Clinical Nurse Manager at the hospital’s paediatric unit, Sarah Murphy, said that dog therapy “offers a positive distraction in the unit and helps normalise the setting for children who are away from home under scary and unpleasant circumstances”.

Ellie Leonard, patient and Ollie the therapy dog at the Paediatric Unit, UHG. University Hospital Galway University Hospital Galway

Irish Therapy Dogs is a registered voluntary charity that is “always looking for suitable volunteers”. Approved volunteers and their dogs visit residents of an assigned care centre once a week to bring therapeutic benefits.

Ollie’s owner and handler Siobhan Falvey said that she knew her dog would be a good fit for the organisation’s work.

“Ollie started his journey in a nursing home providing love and support to the elderly, now he is happy to be on duty at the Paediatric unit in UHG,” she said. 

“Families and staff will often stop to show me photos of their pets at home that they are missing. We compare funny stories about our dogs while they have a cuddle with Ollie.”

Clinical Skills Facilitator at the unit, Tracey Trophy, said that Ollie’s presence in the unit has made “a huge difference to the children”, helping to calm children who are anxious at being in hospital.