2024 Annual Report

Helping to Bring Joy and Healing continued from cover He began his training in our Prison Pup Program, and even then, it was clear he had a knack for making people feel just a little bit better, a little bit brighter, and a whole lot more joyful. When we combined that special trait with the more than 40 specialized tasks and commands he learned in Advanced Training, Wali seemed like the perfect fit for this important new role. “I think it is incredible that I began the process just months before Wali was born! We were both working towards this ultimate goal, just in different ways,” says Dr. Mitchell. Tara Mitchell, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and Wali’s primary handler, applied for a Saint Francis Facility Dog in 2022, after years of researching how a facility dog could positively impact the lives of the young patients she works with. Our team officially matched Wali and Carilion Children’s last year, and after completing Team Training in July, Wali and Dr. Mitchell quickly got to work. Wali is the first Saint Francis Facility Dog placed in a pediatric healthcare setting in the region. He has been integrated in innovative ways at Carilion, interacting with children in behavioral health, including physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Recently, Wali was introduced to a child going through outpatient physical therapy. The child was able to work closely with Wali, giving him commands to follow and tasks to complete. Having the calm, steady presence of a facility dog in the room helped boost the child’s self-confidence and decrease pain and anxiety. The therapist says this young patient looked forward to each session with Wali, providing vital motivation to work towards reaching their therapy goals. “ Wali’s unique skills are already helping patients reach their treatment goals through motivation, positive modeling, and bringing joy to each session,” Dr. Mitchell says. And while he certainly helps bring that joy to the children he meets, Wali is also making an impact on the doctors, nurses, and staff he is now a part of. “I have specifically been told that he decreases blood pressure in the room at meetings. People stop by the team space to get some ‘Wali time’. He can quickly shift the mood of a room to a more joyful space, allowing us to be more positive and creative,” says Dr. Mitchell. And we know as Wali settles into his new job, he will continue bringing his own special kind of medicine to Carilion Children’s. “The wait was hard, but he is so worth it,” Dr. Mitchell says.

Wali in Prison Pup Program

Wali and Dr. Tara Mitchell

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