Paws & Play is the facility dog program at Mount Sinai. Professor, Summer and Moby, 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. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to questions we hear often about Paws & Play.

What is a facility dog?

A facility dog is an animal specially trained to work in the health care environment. Professor, Summer and Moby 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 Professor and Summer 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. Moby provides staff support through “Paws & Play: Care for Clinical Teams.” This innovative program 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.

Where do Professor and Summer work?

Professor works with his clinical handlers on the inpatient pediatric hematology/oncology unit, at the outpatient pediatric hematology/oncology clinic, in the Child Life Zone and in the radiology department. Summer, our newest facility dog, joined our team in July 2024 and is based in the inpatient pediatric medical surgical units and pediatric intensive care units. Professor and Summer are full-time facility dogs who each spend 40 hours per week at the hospital, based on their handler’s schedule.

Where does Moby work?

Moby dedicates his time to supporting staff, faculty, trainees, and adult patients in The Mount Sinai Hospital. Moby and his primary handler, Jaclyn Craig, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT, serve the adult inpatient units, emergency department, and Mount Sinai Queens clinical teams. 

Can families request to meet Professor and Summer?

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.

How did Professor, Summer and Moby get their names? What is their breed?

Professor, a golden doodle, is named after Professor Bunsen Honeydew from the Muppets. Summer, a golden/lab mix, is named after the character Summer Higgins from the hit TV show, Yellowstone.  Moby, also a golden doodle, is named after the great American novel, Moby Dick.

Where do Professor, Summer and Moby live?

Professor lives with his primary handler, Ali Spikestein. Professor enjoys long walks in the park, playing with his favorite toys and getting cozy on the couch. Summer lives with her primary handler, Bethany Pincus. Summer enjoys playing with toys, getting a lot of pets and spending time outside in summer, the season! . Moby lives with his primary handler, Jaclyn Craig. Moby loves going on hikes, playing fetch with sticks and peanut butter!

Mount Sinai pediatric facility dog, Amos, recently retired after almost eight years of service providing more than 12,000 Animal Assisted Therapy sessions to children, families and Mount Sinai staff. Amos is enjoying his restful retirement with his primary handler, Mathea. Good boy, Amos!

How do I get more information about the Paws & Play Program?

For more information about our pediatric Paws & Play program, please contact Ali Spikestein at Ali.Spikestein@mountsinai.org.

For more information about our Paws & Play: Care for Clinical Teams program, please contact Jaclyn Craig at Jaclyn.Craig@mountsinai.org.  

Follow Professor, Summer and Moby on Instagram for the latest updates @MountSinai_PawsandPlay

Read about the recent work of our facility dogs in the latest issue of the Discover, the department’s quarterly newsletter.