With Covid-19 spreading around the country, healthcare workers face an insurmountable amount of stress as they care for sick patients.
Wynn, a service dog-in-training, is helping to make these dark times a little bit less stressful by comforting emergency room staffers at Rose Medical Center in Denver.
The one-year-old yellow Labrador is offering workers cuddles and meditation sessions in a designated office space, providing a few minutes of escape before they go back in and continue their fight against the Coronavirus.
The doctors and nurses are able to grab a warm blanket and sit down with Wynn to relax, while they listen to guided meditation.
Wynn accompanies her trainer, Susan Ryan, who is also an emergency room physician at the hospital.
“She has the ability to really calm people down,” Ryan told Good Morning America. “We’re working in a unique time and she helps us stay grounded.”
Their team needed a way to manage their anxiety, and Wynn has been the perfect solution.
Since many workers are spending time with Wynn, they are taking precautionary measures to make sure it is safe. Wynn’s collar and leash are cleaned regularly and everyone is required to wash their hands before petting her.
Ryan is training Wynn on behalf of Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit that matches assistance dogs with adults and children who have disabilities.