A new specialist has arrived at St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv — Alto, a golden retriever. He is only 1.4 years old, but he has already undergone special training, passed a behavioural test and become the first official therapy dog at the medical facility.
Alto works alongside Inna Doronyuk, an educator, early development specialist and animal volunteer. They help children recover psychologically and physically, reduce anxiety and fear, and overcome social isolation during treatment.
Therapy dogs undergo extensive training to learn how to respond calmly to strangers, medical procedures, and new environments. Alto successfully passed all stages of the exam, so now he helps young patients feel more joy and support every day.
The initiative was implemented with the support of The Bridge of Life charitable foundation, which helps introduce innovative treatment methods in children’s medical institutions in Ukraine.
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