Across ECU Health Medical Center and the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital, three dogs named Clive, Erving and Sam are leaving pawprints in the heart of patients, their families and team members alike. Whether in rehabilitation or pediatrics, these four-legged friends bring joy, motivation and emotional support to patients and their families.
Clive, an eight-year-old golden retriever and lab mix, has been working in the medical center’s rehabilitation department for more than three years. Originally trained through Canine Companions, a non-profit organization that trains and matches service dogs, the program released Clive due to his anxiety riding in cars. but retained all his training and social skills. His puppy raiser, Tanya Bowen, who serves as an outpatient rehab supervisor, connected with recreational therapist Kasey Shue, and found a way to put Clive’s training and social skills to use in therapy work. He typically works two days a week and specializes in emotional support, stress relief and anxiety management. His gentle demeanor makes him ideal for comforting patients and staff.
Shue describes him as a “snuggly bug,” and though he’s older and slower, Clive’s presence continues to make a powerful impact.
Erving, a golden retriever and the newest member of the rehab team, joined in May of 2025. Also raised through Canine Companions in Florida, Erving underwent professional training in Orlando and now works full-time with recreational therapist Kristen Jones. With 40 commands under his belt and certification through Assistance Dog International, Erving supports patients in physical and occupational therapy. His ability to retrieve, tug and interact with patients helps challenge their balance, build strength and boost motivation. Patients often find themselves more willing to participate in exercises when Erving and Clive are involved.
“One patient we had arrived at ECU Health’s rehab unit experiencing pain in his legs and physical therapy was proving difficult,” said Shue. “He didn’t want to walk. The pain was too much, and he was resistant to every attempt to get him moving.”
Then Clive entered the room.
The patient had dogs at home and immediately responded to Clive’s familiar energy.
“With Clive, he agreed to walk around the gym, something he hadn’t been willing to do before,” said Shue. “The pain was still there, but Clive helped him push through it.”
Then there was a patient recovering from a stroke. She couldn’t speak and hadn’t smiled since arriving.
“After a session with Clive, she smiled,” said Shue. “Her face lit up. When the session ended, she pointed to Clive and then to her bed because she wanted him to stay.”
As Clive curled up beside her, the patient’s daughter cried, the doctors cried, and so did the therapist.
“It was a breakthrough moment, thanks to Clive,” said Shue.
For one young girl with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Clive and Erving demonstrated how service dogs could support independence. She practiced real-life tasks with Erving like opening doors and pushing buttons and left excited to begin the process of getting a dog of her own.
According to Jones and Shue, even the staff feel the impact. On a day when a patient coded and did not survive, Erving was there to comfort the doctors who had administered CPR. His quiet support helped them process the grief.
A few steps away from rehab in Maynard Children’s Hospital resides Sam, a black golden retriever, lab and poodle mix trained through Canine Assistants, another non-profit organization that raises hospital facility dogs and personal services dogs. Her arrival was the result of nearly eight years of advocacy and planning by Child Life specialists Ashton Ayers and Chelse Smith, along with colleagues Jaymi Mendoza and Christy Denius. ECU Health Foundation provided the funding to bring Sam on board. After years of research and collaboration with the ECU Health Foundation, funding was secured and Sam officially joined the team in November 2023. Sam was matched with handlers Ayers and Smith after they were vetted through the organization and the hospital.
Ayers and Smith helped build the facility dog program from the ground up. Ayers was inspired by a facility dog handler who spoke at a child life conference, while Smith had firsthand experience with pet therapy and saw its impact in Intensive Care Unit (ICU) settings.
Sam now supports pediatric patients, including those in the ICU, offering comfort during procedures, emotional support during difficult moments and motivation for children facing medical challenges.
“We have a 16-year-old oncology patient,” said Smith. “He was slow to warm up to the hospital environment, but he definitely bonded with Sam. He met Sam when he was newly diagnosed with cancer.”
With his particular diagnosis, it was very important for him to get up and walk for his growth and healing, and to get him out of the room for his emotional state also, according to Smith.
“His care team told us he needed to get out of his room, but he didn’t want to,” said Smith.
Smith and Ayers brought over Sam and offered for him to take Sam outside and throw the ball for her. He surpassed all of his physical therapy goals that day and got to go outside and play with Sam.
“He came back last week and the first thing he said was, ‘I really missed Sam,’” said Ayers. “That’s always the first thing when he’s here, he wants to see Sam immediately.”
Whether it is comforting a child, motivating a patient or supporting a grieving doctor, Clive, Erving and Sam are more than therapy dogs.
“I’ve had people walk by and say, ‘You have the best job in the hospital,’” Shue said. “And now it’s even better – because there are three of them.”