The Cancer Center at RWJUH Hamilton and Saint Gregory the Great Team Up to Bring Patients a “Pawsitively” Fun Pet Parade
The Cancer Center at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton, 2575 Klockner Road, Hamilton, NJ, resumed its pet therapy program this week with a Halloween Pet Parade, after months of being on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, pets and their parents could not visit patients inside the Cancer Center. However, Cancer Center staff creatively collaborated with The Golden Halo Program, affiliated with Saint Gregory the Great Church, 4620 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, NJ, to bring the pets and patients together for a fun seasonal event.
”We are excited to partner with The Golden Halo program,” says Carol Doherty, Holistic Coordinator, The Cancer Center at RWJUH Hamilton. Their mission, which connects dogs and their owners to members of the Hamilton community who may be in need of a comforting visit, “is a perfect fit with our Holistic Healing program,” Doherty explained.
On October 28, while patients looked on from the floor-to-ceiling windows inside the Syed Family Infusion Center, human and canine members of The Golden Halo program paraded outside, through The Cancer Center’s Grounds for Healing. Twelve dogs, accompanied by their owners, flaunted their costumes, from clowns to wizards and everything in between. The patients interacted with the pups and their parents through the windows, beaming and waving at the passersby. Some even snapped pictures with their cell phones to enjoy later.
As a thank you for their visit, The Cancer Center patients and staff gave a special Halloween treat to each dog, customized and packaged by The Bag of Bones Barkery, 364 NJ-33, Hamilton Township, NJ, a natural pet food store. Each pet parent also received a pet blanket for their pup to snuggle up with this fall. One human member of The Golden Halo remarked, "It's so great to be back visiting patients with our pups and sharing in these beautiful seasons together."
About Robert Wood Johnson Hospital Hamilton
Located in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, serves communities within a five-county area and includes an acute care hospital, cancer center, affiliated medical group, Lakeview Child Centers and the RWJ Fitness & Wellness Center. RWJBarnabas Health and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. For more information, visit us at www.RWJBH.org/Hamilton.