Interview with Erin Shaffer
Photography by Jack Robert Photography

Erin Shaffer, a child life specialist at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Upstate in Greenville, South Carolina, offers a closer look at the hospital’s canine unit, FETCH (Friends Encouraging Therapeutic Coping and Healing).

Tell us about FETCH:
The idea for the canine FETCH unit came from some of our specialists, who had heard about other hospital systems that were incorporating facility dogs. They did the initial research and were able to start with just two dogs in 2016. It’s since grown into a team of seven trained service dogs that each work alongside a handler to provide goal-oriented interventions. It’s made a huge difference for the patients and their families and the whole health-care system here.

How did you get Becky, your facility dog?
I was a child life specialist here at Prisma Health from 2005 to 2017. I worked in pre-op surgery and was very interested in getting a facility dog when the FETCH unit started, but I ended up moving to Pennsylvania, where I coincidentally became a primary facility-dog handler at Penn State Health for Becky. When I had the opportunity, I moved back to Greenville with my family in 2022, and I was able to bring Becky with me to Prisma Health, where I utilize her in my current role in pre-op.

Are all the handlers hospital staff?
Yes, our handlers have to be employed by the hospital system. We typically have a primary handler and a secondary handler. The primary handler’s role is to be the dog’s main caregiver. Each dog lives with their primary handler, so Becky lives with me and my family and comes to work when I do. The secondary handlers can also work with the dogs, using them alongside their roles at the hospital; they just don’t take them home at the end of the day.

What are the benefits of facility dogs?
We always say our facility dogs are like tools in our toolbox. We utilize them with a specific goal in mind. In preop surgery, my job is to help patients and families understand the process. I work directly with the child, explaining to them at their developmental level what is going to happen while incorporating Becky alongside what I do. A child coming in for surgery is often scared and anxious, and having a dog available can make a huge impact; just walking into the room with a dog can change the whole vibe and make patients and families instantly feel more comfortable. I also use her for demonstrations, such as by putting an anesthesia mask or blood pressure cuff on her. Seeing a dog wear those things makes it a little less scary for children.

Similarly, I use Becky to encourage kids to take their medicine if they’re having a hard time by demonstrating how she takes her “medicine” (which is just water or apple juice in a syringe)—this shows them it doesn’t hurt and that if Becky can do it, they can do it too. She and I sometimes cotreat with other disciplines like physical therapy to help motivate the child to do what the doctors need them to do; with a dog, it can feel more like playtime and less like work.

Do the dogs only work with kids?
Several of them, including Becky, work primarily with children and their families. But we do have some dogs that help in the adult population. For example, a chaplain, a certified orthotist, and a member of our psych department all work alongside specific facility dogs.

Will you tell us about a time when Becky made a noticeable difference with a patient?
When I was at Penn State Health, I worked with hematology-oncology patients, and there was one child who had a new brain tumor diagnosis. She was really having a difficult time adjusting to all the procedures and being sick all the time. When I would bring Becky into the room, it would instantly lift her up and bring her joy. We would often do medical play, where she’d handle the equipment or do a checkup on Becky. It helped her become more comfortable with that equipment while she was in the hospital since she could interact with it in a nonthreatening way.

Do you see differences in Becky’s interactions with patients versus when she’s at home?
Definitely. At home, she’s relaxed and loves food—she’s always on when there’s food around. [Laughs] I can also see how she adjusts her responses based on the situation. If she’s in the ICU with a child who’s intubated, she will get on the bed and lay still beside them. However, when she’s at home, she’s more active on our bed. She just knows how to act based on the needs of the room.

Do you think Becky enjoys her job?
Dogs do need downtime and rest throughout the day; after all, your pet at home is probably sleeping most of the time while you’re at work. But ours don’t get a chance to do that. So in our training, they teach us to be mindful of their cues and give them time to take naps or even just a break, especially if they’ve been exposed to a more stressful experience. But overall, I think Becky loves to see people when she comes to work. It’s like her coworkers are here, too, since she gets to play with the other facility dogs.

For more info, visit prismahealthupstatefoundation.org/fetch