Happy the dog helps HealthPark patients

Tori Law has a menagerie at her home: two ginea pigs, two turtles and a chocolate Labrador.

But at HealthPark Children's Hospital it's dogs like Happy, a sweet-tempered small dog that keeps the 9-year-old entertained while she receives treatment for Leukemia.

On a recent afternoon, after a rough night, hospital staff transported Tori to another room. Dick Breithaupt approached Tori to see if she wanted to play with Happy.

Of course, she said. As the wirehaired dog reached up to play with Tori, the little girl from Naples giggled.

"Tori loves animals," Patricia Law, Tori's mom, said. "We've got a little farm at our home."

Law said therapy dogs like Happy are wonderful because they keep lift children's spirits.

"It's a great way to break up a hard situation sometimes," Law said.

Happy is one of about 24 active volunteer dogs that spend time with hospital patients, according to Jill Palmer, director of Volunteer Services for HealthPark Children's Hospital and Lee Memorial Health System. From October 2013 to September 2014 dogs and their owners donated 700 hours of work to the hospital and its patients. That's a small fraction of Lee Memorial System volunteers — which number 1,111 with 139,483 hours donated during that same time.

Palmer said dogs visit the hospital at least six days a week. Dogs have to be calm and must get along with other dogs.

"Many people think I have a very friendly dog, but some dogs can't handle it," Palmer said.

Each dog has to be certified as a therapy dog with one of the companies the hospital used, Palmer said.

"It's always very positive," she said.

Breithaupt adopted Happy from a rescue shelter in 2006. Happy has three functional legs that he uses to comically skip around hospital hallways. When Breithaupt met Happy, the little dog's right front leg was broken and was never treated. Happy has learned to get around without his front paw, which hands a few inches off the floor.

"When we got him with all the problems he had, he was just wagging his tail," Breithaupt said.

Because of that he named him Happy.

Breithaupt said he is happy to share his Happy with the hospital.

"There's some amazing and great kids here," Breithaupt said.

While Khamile Agramonte patiently waited with her parents Niurka Castro and Francis Agramonte to be called into an exam room, Happy kept her company. The family was waiting for a diagnosis after a multitude of tests.

She likes dogs, the 9-year-old said.

"They're soft and fluffy," Khamile said.

Agramonte said the dog provides Khamile with "piece of mind."

"They take their minds off whatever is happening," Agramonte said. "It gets the kids to calm down and it makes this all easier for them."

While it's a bit difficult to become a therapy dog, Lee Memorial Health System is always looking for other volunteers. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can call 343-5055 or visit leememorial.org.