850 GOOD NEWS: Therapy dogs bring comfort to hospital staff and patients

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - At Ascension Sacred Heart Bay, a different kind of shift worker is bringing relief — four paws at a time.

What started as a pick-me-up after the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into a full-on force for comfort. And that’s this story — 850 good news.

For this group of dogs, this isn’t a walk — it’s a shift.

The Ascension Sacred Heart Bay therapy dog program started in January 2023 — at a time when hospital staff needed a little lift.

“It was driven by a need for our associates to have some joy through the day, to have some comfort with a therapy dog,” Michelle Moore, therapy dog program founder, said.

Moore says hospitals can be a stressful place for everyone.

“It just really makes a difference for them to have that break to see a therapy dog and to be able to pet and have some joy to step away from patient care for just a few minutes,” Moore said.

But don’t let the cute fool you; these dogs are fully cleared for duty.

Each one is certified, insured, background-checked and on-boarded — just like an employee.

“It is a real job,” Moore said.

What started with one dog is now a troupe of 10 — so well-known that staff and patients call them by name.

“They love them so much, they’re like, ‘Where’s Butter? Where’s Jackson? Where’s Lexie?’” Moore said.

Behind that good behavior is a lot of training.

“They first start off with basic obedience training. And then, we work with a lot of distractions,” Earnie Via, a K-9 certified master trainer and Lexie’s dad, said.

They’re on call, too — ready when the hospital needs them most.

And sometimes they do more than brighten a day.

“We had a patient that was not responding to the doctors, basically almost shut down as far as interacting with them. As soon as she saw the dogs, she started laughing, and from there, her vitals picked back up. It just made a big difference,” Via said.

For Earnie — and his dog, Lexie — this work is a calling.

“Dogs give you unconditional love. They give you unconditional kindness, and they’ll stay right with you by your side always,” Via said.

And as the program continues to grow, one thing stays the same.

“With the world condition today, we need some love out here, and these dogs bring that love,” Via said.

In a place built for healing, sometimes the best medicine comes in on a leash.

Many of these dogs are also working overtime beyond the hospital, spreading joy at schools, nursing homes, assisted living centers and area events.

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