Paws & Play
Paws & Play is the facility dog program at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. Summer, Icee, and Muffin, our beloved facility dogs, are full-time “employees” in the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department. This program pairs Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) with the skills of Certified Child Life Specialists and Licensed Creative Arts Therapists to provide therapeutic interventions for patients, families, staff, faculty and trainees. Research has shown that AAT and facility dogs increase positive behaviors, reduce experiences of pain, lower blood pressure, and decrease experiences of depression and fatigue. Just as important, AAT has also proven to reduce patient anxiety during medical appointments, decrease feelings of isolation, and provide opportunities for increased social support.
Summer
Summer, a golden/lab mix facility dog, works in the Inpatient Pediatric Medical Surgical Units and Pediatric Intensive Care Units with handlers Bethany Pincus and Sophia Gutierrez Osuna.
Icee
Icee, a black golden/lab/poodle facility dog, works in the Inpatient and Outpatient Pediatric Hematology/Oncology units with handlers Kaleigh Bieling and Kyla Ohayon.
Muffin
Muffin, a black golden/lab mix Facility Dog, provides Integrative Staff Wellness Support across the Health System with handlers Robin O’Hare, LCAT, ATR-BC, RYT, and Katherine Parker, MA, LCAT, ATR-BC, ATCS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some answers to questions we often hear about Paws & Play
What is a facility dog?
A facility dog is an animal specially trained to work in the health care environment. Summer, Icee, and Muffin were trained as medical service dogs at Canine Assistants in Milton, Georgia, where they were exposed to a variety of environments and experiences to prepare them to work with the children, families, staff, faculty and trainees at our hospital.
How is this program special?
Certified Child Life Specialists and Licensed Creative Arts Therapists incorporate. Summer and Icee into therapeutic treatment plans using AAT to address the clinical needs of our pediatric patients. AAT is a goal-directed intervention that incorporates the animal into the treatment process.
Muffin leads “Paws & Play: Care for Clinical Teams,” an innovative program which aims to provide well-being and resilience opportunities for staff, faculty, and trainees in the hospital’s adult areas. Our mission is dedicated to reducing burnout, stress, and depression in the workplace and to positively impact patient care.
Can families request to meet Summer and Icee?
Yes. If your child is having a difficult time coping with the hospital environment, is experiencing significant pain, or needs more motivation to achieve clinical goals, you can contact your child life specialist to request an animal assisted therapy session.
Fun facts about Summer, Icee, and Muffin
What are their breeds? And how did they get their names?
All three dogs were named at Canine Assistants, where they were born and trained.
- Summer (golden/lab mix) is named after Summer Higgins from Yellowstone.
- Icee (black golden/lab/poodle mix) is named after the classic frozen drink.
- Muffin (golden/lab mix) comes from the “breakfast foods” litter.
Favorite Clinical Interventions
These are the special activities and therapeutic roles each dog loves to perform with patients and staff.
- Summer loves songwriting and motivating patients to walk post-surgery.
- Icee enjoys paw-print art and comforting patients during procedures.
- Muffin participates in staff wellness groups like yoga and mindfulness.
Where They Live & What They Do Off Duty
After work, all three dogs head home with their handlers in the tri-state area.
- Summer enjoys toys, outdoor time, and lots of pets with handler Bethany Pincus.
- Icee likes napping, relaxing, and strolling through NYC with Kaleigh Bieling.
- Muffin loves playing with her puppy sister and getting belly rubs at home with Robin O’Hare.
How You Can Support Our Dogs
This program is supported by the generosity of our donors. We thank you for your contributions. Without your support, this program would not be possible. Every dollar directly supports the daily care, training, and expansion of our Paws & Play program.
To support our future growth and impact with a donation here.
Paws & Play Research Spotlights
The effectiveness of Paws & Play is supported by evidence-based practice. Our facility dogs are not only companions but therapeutic partners who drive clinical improvement.
- Pediatric Pain & Anxiety: Our published research shows that the Facility Dog/Certified Child Life Specialist dyad significantly reduces children's pain and anxiety during high-stress procedures like needlesticks.
- Staff Resilience & Well-being: We also conduct innovative research on the impact of our dogs on staff resilience and well-being across the Health System, aiming to combat burnout and stress.
Emeritus Facility Dogs
Please join us in celebrating our exceptional retired facility dogs! They have officially traded their vests for comfy beds and well-deserved leisure, but their years of service and countless cuddles have left an unforgettable paw-print on the Mount Sinai community.
- Professor Bunsen Honeydew (Retired June 2025): As Mount Sinai’s first facility dog, Professor established the program's foundation and concluded his career with over 22,000 AAT sessions and a significant research contribution.
- Amos (Retired March 2024): This champion cuddler provided over 12,000 Animal Assisted Therapy sessions over almost eight years, primarily supporting our pediatric population.
- Moby (Retired December 2024): Moby provided over six years of dedicated service to staff wellness, helping to reduce stress and promote well-being among clinical teams across the health system.
To Amos, Moby, and Professor: Thank you for your service, your loyalty, and for proving that the best medicine often comes with a wagging tail.