Meet Puggle and Huckleberry, St. Jude’s Paw Patrol
They're known as the doggy duo at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, but it's okay to call Puggle and Huckleberry a dynamic duo, because they're certainly heroes to the kids they work with.
The two pups are part of a program called Paws at Play, and they're both trained to help St. Jude kids meet clinical goals while easing fears.
For example, Huckleberry is a master of CT scans. The golden retriever has practiced how to show kids how to pass through one fearlessly so they don't have to be sedated. Need proof?
Not to be outdone, Puggle is uniquely trained by a St. Jude Child Life Specialist, so he's able to offer comfort to kids like Devon, a young man undergoing treatment for neuroblastoma. At the St. Jude Inspire website, the boy shares that he misses his dog back home, but Puggle makes things better.
Some days the Goldendoodle is literally the reason kids want to get out of bed. Can you blame them?
Both dogs began training at a very young age and met their handlers in the Child Life Team during a weeklong graduation camp. From there they got to work, which means more than looking adorable in costumes. Wagging a tail or cuddling with a sick kid for as long as he or she wants is invaluable treatment that none of the doctors and nurses can provide. Puggle and Huckleberry cover a blind spot at a hospital that seeks to make quality of care its No. 1 priority.
See more pictures from the doggy duo's Instagram page below. It's cuteness overload but we're not apologizing for it.
From February 4-5, Taste of Country, The Boot and radio stations nationwide will bring awareness to St. Jude and ask for your support. Become a Partner in Hope for just $19 a month and get the enjoyment of knowing you're a part of St. Jude's We Won't Stop commitment. You'll even get a sharp, red T-shirt to show off.
The We Won't Stop T-shirt is St. Jude's token of gratitude for anyone who signs up to become a partner in hope. Tap the button below and enjoy photos of some of country's biggest stars who've made the We Won't Stop promise.
We Can't Get Over This Special St. Jude Moment With Randy Owen:
Country Artists at St. Jude Through the Years: