He Brought "Wow" to the Animal Assisted Activities program

The Trinitas Hospital community was saddened in April by the news of the passing on Tuesday, April 8, of Inker, the first dog to volunteer for the Animal Assisted Activities Program. From the inception of the program in September 2005 until his last visits in early April, Inker brought his particular brand of cheer to patients in the hospital and the Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center during nearly 1100 separate visits.

In December 2007, Inker, a nine-year old Golden Retriever, was diagnosed with canine lymphoma. Through the first three months of 2008, Inker's owner and handler, Pat Dobson, brought him into New York City for weekly chemotherapy treatments at the Animal Medical Center, which is affiliated with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

In the last two weeks of his life, Inker courageously continued his visits to patients at the Trinitas Comprehensive Cancer Center with those whom he had forged a communal bond while fighting the disease.

Trinitas is proud to share these photos of Inker doing what he did best, being a lovable and caring dog that patients and staff members alike knew and loved.

NJN HealthWatch Report

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Correspondent Cindy Hsu's report