pet therapy Archive

April 6, 2026

Tender Paws and Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital celebrate a fetching 25-year partnership

Composed of community volunteers and their specially trained dogs, Tender Paws teams regularly visit inside the hospital, providing emotional support that complements clinical care.

By Sandra Wooten

Service dogs Kai, left, and Mia were trained at VUMC recently to gain exposure to medical equipment and staff like those they will encounter after completing training. (photo by Donn Jones)

December 20, 2023

Vanderbilt LifeFlight partners with Retrieving Independence to train service dogs in simulated medical settings

Vanderbilt LifeFlight is partnering with the local nonprofit Retrieving Independence to assist in the training of service dogs in simulated medical settings, the latest of several Vanderbilt University Medical Center partnerships that bring specially trained dogs to Medical Center facilities.

By Matt Batcheldor

May 16, 2022

VUMC therapy dog Will mourned

One of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s beloved pet therapy dogs, KyleakinTempest, aka Will, died May 14. He was 11 years old.

By VUMC News and Communications

June 25, 2018

Volunteer Christi Williams and Layla the “Rehab Lab” featured in national dog food commercial

“She loves it; she goes in tail wagging.”

By Kristin Smart

November 30, 2017

Bear the therapy dog’s legacy lives on at Children’s Hospital

Bear was calm and gentle with children and loved to visit them in the hospital. He leaves behind a legacy at Children’s Hospital, especially in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

By Jennifer Wetzel

November 2, 2017

Barktoberfest!

Last week Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt presented Barktoberfest, a Halloween-themed dog show, for patients and families.