Stead Family Children’s Hospital Welcomes a New Therapy Dog

The staff at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City does an amazing job of making each child's stay there as comfortable as possible. But sometimes, they need a little help from man's best friend!

New Therapy Dog Added to Iowa Children's Hospital

The Stead Family Children's Hospital added its therapy dog program in 2023 with Nacho and Corrin. The dogs visit kids and families at the hospital to interact with children and promote healing and comfort. We got to meet Nacho at our Radiothon event in August!

Courtlin

Corrin and her handler left the hospital in April and moved out of the area. We heard that a new therapy dog would arrive soon, and now we finally get to meet her! The University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital is proud to welcome Caitlin to Iowa City!

According to an Instagram post, Caitlin is a 20-month-old Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever mix. And yes, she is named after Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark! She graduated from the same training school that Nacho and Corrin were trained at.

Things to Remember If You See Caitlin at the Hospital

According to the post, Caitlin is getting settled into her new home in Iowa City and will begin transitioning to her new role at the hospital soon. Hospital officials know that everyone is excited to meet Caitlin, but remind the public of a few tips if you see her.

• Give Caitlin and her handlers space if you see them. She is still learning her new job!
• When approaching Caitlin, please use your voice and response calm and controlled.
• Always ask before petting.
• Please do not give Caitlin any treats.

The post says that Caitlin and Nacho are already getting along great! We can't wait to meet Caitlin, and we're excited to see all the comfort she'll bring to kids at the Children's Hospital in Iowa City!