Watch UCHealth therapy dogs be blessed by hospital chaplains
Medical Center of the Rockies hosted “Blessing of the Paws” for a second year, blessing the health care system’s Northern Colorado therapy dogs.
- UCHealth in Northern Colorado held its second annual “Blessing of the Paws” event.
- The event celebrates the work of 24 therapy dogs that visit patients at four different UCHealth facilities.
- Chaplains blessed each dog and thanked them for their service with treats.
Ahead of her stop at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies Wednesday afternoon, MCR Chaplain Beth McKee found an old hymn rolling around in her head.
“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small,” goes the 19th century work by Cecil Frances Alexander. “All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.”
McKee felt it was an appropriate sentiment for MCR’s Blessing of the Paws Wednesday — a newer tradition that brings UCHealth’s Northern Colorado therapy dogs together to be blessed by the health care system’s chaplains.
When McKee recited the verses during her benediction Wednesday, they resonated with volunteer Lori Aadsen — who owns Big Ben, one of the nearly 10 UCHealth therapy dogs that attended Wednesday’s blessing.
“God created Ben to be a therapy dog,” Aadsen later said. “He was wired for it.”
The golden retriever and standard poodle mix is cool as a cucumber and big, too — he’s the perfect height for patients to reach out from their beds to pet his mop of curly golden fur, Aadsen said.
Henry, a 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, is not “bed height” like Big Ben. In fact, at 18 pounds, he’s the program’s smallest dog, but he’s still able to jump up with patients.
Hatch, an 8-year-old yellow lab, has a special way with people, according to his owner, Suzanne Pope. He can tell when people are having a hard time and need his comfort. Patients also love his bow ties. He has an extensive collection and wears one during every volunteer shift.
UCHealth’s therapy pet program has 24 dogs that visit four of its Northern Colorado facilities: Poudre Valley Hospital, Medical Center of the Rockies, Greeley Hospital and Mountain Crest Behavioral Health Center, according to UCHealth spokesperson Kelly Tracer.
This marks the second year the health care system invited them to MCR for its special “Blessing of the Paws” event, which honors their roles as part of UCHealth’s care team.
“Connection heals,” UCHealth Chaplain Christopher Lamb said to the dogs and owners gathered Wednesday, “And these animals remind us of that gift.”
Janet Bayless has been part of UCHealth’s therapy dog program for around 13 years — ever since her blue standard poodle, Rocky, was just two years old.
Rocky recently died, and Bayless adopted another standard poodle — an 8-year-old blonde named Taffy. Taffy started as one of MCR’s therapy dogs Wednesday, Bayless said.
“I believe in dogs giving back, and I believe in people giving back,” Bayless said.
“Every time I leave a patient they say, ‘that made my day,’ and that makes my day,” she added.
The dogs at Wednesday’s event were each blessed by a UCHealth chaplain and thanked for their work with baggies of treats. After the event, they milled around with their owners and greeted the other dogs. There were playful Labrador and golden retrievers, a lazing poodle, calm Big Ben and tiny Henry — all creatures great and small.
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