ST. LOUIS - There’s a new dog in town.
Duo Dog Olaf is the new facility dog at Mercy Kids and Young Adult Cardinals Cancer Center at Mercy St. Louis. He takes the reins from recently retired Duo Dog Odin who became very well known and loved by all during his over six working years.
Duo Dogs, Inc., trains dogs for two years prior to placement with an organization like Mercy. Once placed, Duo Dogs continue training with their new team and serve the organization until retirement, typically at age 10.
Facility dogs like Olaf are specially trained to work with professional handlers in clinical, educational or legal settings to complete specific tasks for the benefit of vulnerable populations they serve.
“The kids and caregivers have already fallen in love with Olaf,” said Laura Hanks, Olaf’s handler and social worker at Mercy Kids and Young Adult Cardinals Cancer Center. “He has such a sweet personality and is eager to greet all his new friends. We are so thankful to Duo Dogs for the opportunity to host Olaf and share his skills with our patients.”
Olaf spends his working day with Hanks in the clinic space, helping comfort patients and family members during treatments and procedures. After hours, Olaf lives with Rachael Dreher, a clinical nurse supervisor in the Mercy Kids neonatal intensive care unit.
