Velour Vanderbilt — “Vee Vee,” as she is affectionately called — is a 3-year-old yellow Labrador retriever who makes physical therapy doggone manageable for Brynlee Pruitt, 9.
“It’s been amazing to see her change in the last few weeks,” said Baleigh Smith, Brynlee’s mother. “She’ll just say, ‘You know, I don’t want to get up and walk’. But then when you mention Velour’s going to come, she gets excited about it.
“The dogs have been great at motivating her, and they boost her confidence to get up and to move. Velour has been a wonderful incentive. It really kind of excites her knowing that Velour or Squid are coming to help work with her during PT.”
Velour and Squid are facility dogs at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Daily PT sessions are an important part of Brynlee’s recovery. She has been hospitalized for nearly eight weeks after a car accident left her with third-degree burns to her face, arms and leg, in addition to a broken femur and ankle.
“PT can be scary and anxiety provoking for many patients recovering from burns,” said Nadine Kosten, PT, DPT. “PT in collaboration with our facility dogs like Velour makes our sessions more fun and exciting.
“Velour acts as a great distraction and motivator during our sessions,” said Kosten. “Brynlee enjoys having Velour here, and she is excited to work with her. It really helps her not to think about the pain.”
Velour has been a calming force for Brynlee, who was recently discharged home to Fayetteville, Tennessee, where she will be able to spend time with her two dogs.
Kaylor Glassman, MS, facility dog program coordinator and Velour’s primary handler, said one of Velour’s qualities is mobility motivation. The pair creates intentional opportunities for patients to work on treatment goals through developmentally appropriate play and a supportive, nonjudgmental presence.
“For example, when Brynlee needed to work on standing, which was painful and hard, she was excited to do so when it involved teaching Velour a new trick,” said Glassman. “Velour transforms tears to giggles on a daily basis, and she brings joy to even the hardest situations.”
Glassman said the collaboration between the physical therapy team and the Canine Clinicians program has resulted in creative ways to achieve shared goals of supporting patients.
Velour came to Vanderbilt in late 2024 and is the newest member of the Canine Clinicians Facility Dog Program at Monroe Carell. She was trained by Canine Companions and provided free of charge, just like her co-worker Squid, who joined the staff in 2020.
