What has four paws, a wagging tail, and the power to ease pain, lower stress, and bring smiles to kids with cancer? You guessed it — therapy dogs!

ACS recently wrapped up its six-month Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) in Cancer ECHO program, and it’s safe to say—it was a howling success! With 138 participants from across the country, the program aimed to expand access to the healing magic of hospital facility dogs for children, teens, and their caregivers navigating cancer treatment.

And these pups aren’t just cute; they’re doing serious work. AAT has been shown to help kids feel less pain during needle sticks, reduce stress and irritability, and even boost energy levels. Best of all, they make hospitals feel more like home.

The ECHO program welcomed child life specialists and hospital administrators eager to start or grow AAT programs in pediatric oncology.  The ECHO program offered professional development units (PDUs) for child life professionals. Participants received expert guidance from subject matter experts on hospital facility dog program design, best practices, and hospital implementation. Topics covered everything from clinical interventions to funding and infection control—because keeping things clean and safe is part of the job, even for the fluffiest team members.​

“This was a wonderful way to learn about each topic from real-life experiences, connect with other professionals, and earn PDUs.” - ECHO participant

And the results speak for themselves:

• 78% of attendees reported feeling “very” or “extremely” knowledgeable about AAT after the program—a more than twofold jump from where they started
• 87% said they’re likely to use what they learned in their work

Knowledge gained from the ECHO program will be incorporated into a hospital implementation guide for AAT in cancer care, available in the fall through the Cancer Prevention & Survivorship team.