Post by MultiCare Health System

For 15 years, volunteer Linda Roe has brought her therapy dog to visit patients at MultiCare Cancer Institute – North Star Lodge, offering something that’s hard to measure but easy to see: comfort. Through MultiCare’s Pet-Assisted Wellness program, trained therapy animal teams visit patients and families across care settings, including MultiCare Cancer Institute – North Star Lodge, Children’s Village and MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital. These visits can help ease anxiety, calm nervous family members and give staff a much-needed moment of joy amid the demands of their work. For cancer patients in particular, the arrival of a therapy dog can visibly shift the atmosphere of a treatment room — replacing tension with warmth and fear with presence. Since 2012, the program has grown to include 40 volunteers serving eight facilities across the Yakima region, bringing comfort, connection and companionship to patients, families and staff when they need it most. Thank you to Linda and all of our Pet-Assisted Wellness volunteers for the meaningful difference you make across our community.