Meet NJ's Newest Children's Hospital Therapy Dog

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Meet Burton! He's the first therapy dog to be on-staff, full-time at a children's hospital in New Jersey. Burton is the new therapy dog at Children's Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, part of the RWJBarnabas Health network. He's pictured above with Melady Nergron, a patient at Children's Specialized.

Burton, a 20-month-old Golden Retriever, just started work last Monday, Nov. 6. Burton has been specially trained to do things like sit with children while they are receiving treatment, such as chemotherapy. When not sitting for specific treatments, he will roam the hospital with his handler, Katie Ahlers, visiting sick or recovering children at their bedside.

Ahlers is a recreational therapist at Children's Specialized. Burton has been specially trained to read children's body language and can tell when they are in pain or need something.

How can therapy dogs help in a hospital setting? Petting dogs promotes the production of mood-enhancing hormones such as serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin. Interactions with dogs have also been shown to have a regulatory effect on blood pressure, lower respiration rates, as well as reducing the amount of pain medication patients required to achieve comfort. Dogs have also been shown to increase physical and mental stimulation and motivation.

Burton was born and trained at the Canine Assistants training facility in Georgia, where he was specially trained to work in the health care environment, and to work with children. He learned the meaning of nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs. He also learned to answer either/or questions, reason by exclusion, synchronize with the demeanor of his human partner, replicate actions demonstrated by others, and effectively communicate using body language, expressions, and movements as well as interpret communications such as reading emotion and intent in human facial expressions, body language and tone.

The funding for Burton was provided by Mickey’s Kids Charitable Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money for dogs from Canine Assistants, in hopes to get as many service/therapy dogs into the NY/Metro area as possible.