Black Lab joins the team at Cambridge Memorial Hospital

Cambridge Memorial Hospital announced that Ember, a National Service Dog, has joined the team at the facility to provide support for staff, physicians, midwives and volunteers.

CMH says the black Labrador retriever has been specifically trained to support the health and well-being of people connected to the hospital.

It says Ember becomes the first service dog in the country specifically dedicated to a hospital.

“Ember is paving the way for future placements in the healthcare sector. We look forward to hearing about the amazing work NSD Ember will do at CMH,” said Emma Bluhm, communications co-ordinator with National Service Dogs.

Facility dogs are often deployed to police or fire departments in an effort to help people deal with the high stress connected to these roles.

The hospital has been working towards getting a service dog for several years now.

“Kim MacDougall, a CMH staff member, approached the executive team in 2019 with a proposal to have a facility dog,” explained CMH president Patrick Gaskin. “We thought it was a great idea and pursued the application.”

He said Ember has been brought in to help support his staff’s mental well-being.

The hospital says it is working with the University of Guelph to find a way to formally evaluate the impact that Ember has at CMH.

“We are in the early stages of exploring research opportunities with the hospital team and are excited about the potential to study the impact of the program on both the staff and Ember,” stated Jason Coe, a professor at Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College.

The cost of the service dog is being covered by a donation from the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation, which provided a grant to pay for the dog’s vet and food bills for a decade.