Across the Sutter Health network, healthcare providers partner with Canine Companions facility dogs. You’ll find these specially trained dogs in Sutter rehabilitation departments, child life programs, outpatient oncology clinics and more.

What is a Facility Dog?

Facility dogs are expertly trained dogs who partner with a healthcare provider and serve in a hospital or outpatient setting. As working animals, they wear a Sutter employee badge and work alongside their handler.

A Canine Companions facility dog performs service dog tasks, such as:

• Picking up items.
• Opening doors.
• Providing calming pressure across a patient’s lap or body.

Because they’re bred to be calm, reliable and affectionate, these amazing animals provide numerous benefits, such as:

• Enhancing rehab or other therapy.
• Promoting participation in therapy.
• Reducing anxiety, fear, loneliness and pain.
• Helping the development of independent living skills.

About Our Facility Dogs

More than 20 years ago, Sutter Health pioneered the use of facility dogs for inpatient healthcare settings. It’s now the longest running such program in the U.S. We currently have more than 14 clinical employees partnered with facility dogs across the Sutter network.

Canine Companions provides the dogs free of charge. Every Canine Companions service dog undergoes extensive training and socialization for two years before graduating with a mastery of over 40 cues.

Get to know Sutter’s facility dogs on Instagram.