Doggie Brigade
Volunteer dogs and their owners make regular visits to Akron Children's Hospital in downtown Akron and in the Mahoning Valley at our Beeghly campus. These dogs have passed behavioral and physical screenings before joining the brigade. They help brighten our your child's hospital stay.
Doggie Brigade screenings are offered once a year for each campus. If you're interested in joining our Doggie Brigade, call 330-543-8424 (Akron) or 330-746-8350 (Mahoning Valley).
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Pet Visitation
If your child must be hospitalized for more than 7 days and is unable to go home on a pass, your house pet may visit. Your child's attending doctor must first write the order for the pet to visit, after any possible allergies have been addressed.
Once the order is written, you may schedule a visit with the nursing staff. Before the visit, the animal must be well groomed and clean. Upon arrival, you and your pet will check in with Security on the second floor and are then escorted to the child. The pet must remain in a cage.
Special Visitors
As a special place for kids, Akron Children's naturally attracts special visitors wishing to cheer up those kids. Some of our special visitors are regular and predictable. We have annual visits from baseball players from the University of Akron and Kent State University, as well as Indy race car drivers.
But, you also never know who will stop by. Celebrities such as the Easter Bunny, Brutus Buckeye, the Cleveland Browns, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Miss Ohio have stopped by to say “hi.”
