Coronavirus: Service dog in training comforts staff at Denver hospital

April 22, 2020

A doctor raising a service dog in training has enlightened the mood at the hospital where she works by bringing the pup to work amid fear from the coronavirus.

Dr. Susan Ryan is raising Wynn, a 1-year-old Labrador retriever, for Canine Companions for Independence, KDVR reported. The organization provides the dogs at no cost to those in need.

Ryan, an emergency physician, started taking Wynn to Rose Medical Center as part of her training to socialize and teach basic obedience.

“She’s a calm presence; she grounds us. Everybody goes and seeks her out when they need just an extra bit of a minute to pet her, snuggle or kiss her,” Ryan told KDVR.

Wynn went to the hospital regularly with Ryan before the outbreak, but her appearances are more appreciated lately.

The bond between a dog and human can “break down the walls of isolation, which is really important in this time when people are physically distancing,” Ryan told KDVR. “They don’t have to be socially or emotionally distant.”

There are more than 1,400 coronavirus confirmed cases in Colorado and 24 deaths, Colorado Public Radio reported.

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