Dogs On Call

Dogs On Call Dogs On Call serves the patient, visitor, and staff populations of the VCU Medical Center by providing therapy dog visitation and animal-assisted therapy.

Dogs On Call is a volunteer-based therapy dog program of the non-profit The Center for Human-Animal Interaction (www.facebook.com/humananimalinteraction) at Virginia Commonwealth University. Therapy dog and handler teams visit as volunteers, at no cost to patients and their families, with the aim of enhancing the health and well-being of a myriad of clinical populations. Visits are provided nearly

everywhere throughout the VCU Medical Center, with the exception of operating rooms, delivery rooms, and where contact precautions are in place. Participating therapy dogs must be certified and continually meet set standards for temperament, obedience, and hygiene. Together, volunteers and their therapy dogs work to satisfy safety requirements so that they can provide this important service. The DOC Program is an evidence-based practice, supported by research conducted both internally and externally to the VCU Medical Center. Research conducted by the Center for Human-Animal Interaction, often involving visiting DOC teams, continues to uncover benefits patient and staff benefits from their visits as well as from other forms of human-animal interaction.

It takes a village. To the VCU Health nurses, doctors, and staff who welcomed paws onto the clinical floors 25 years ago...
06/06/2026

It takes a village. To the VCU Health nurses, doctors, and staff who welcomed paws onto the clinical floors 25 years ago—thank you for believing in the bond! 💙

Every legacy has a beginning. Today we remember Mick, one of our first dogs who helped start it all and set the gold sta...
06/05/2026

Every legacy has a beginning. Today we remember Mick, one of our first dogs who helped start it all and set the gold standard for hospital visits.

TBT to our early days! The vest may not be there yet, but the smiles our dogs bring remain exactly the same.
06/04/2026

TBT to our early days! The vest may not be there yet, but the smiles our dogs bring remain exactly the same.

Did you know CHAI is a Research Center within the VCU School of Medicine on the MCV Campus? Our offices are located in t...
06/03/2026

Did you know CHAI is a Research Center within the VCU School of Medicine on the MCV Campus? Our offices are located in the Department of Psychiatry. This unique home allows us to seamlessly bridge rigorous science with daily clinical care! 🔬🩺

Today we honor our founder, Dr. Sandra Barker, whose pioneering vision in 2001 paved the way for integrating therapy dog...
06/02/2026

Today we honor our founder, Dr. Sandra Barker, whose pioneering vision in 2001 paved the way for integrating therapy dogs into patient care at VCU Health .

This June, we’re celebrating a massive milestone: 25 years of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction! Founded in 2001 r...
06/01/2026

This June, we’re celebrating a massive milestone: 25 years of the Center for Human-Animal Interaction! Founded in 2001 right here at VCU, we were the first center of our kind housed in a medical school. Here’s to a quarter-century of the human-animal bond! 🐾🎉

Sending love to The Oncology Service for their continued support. We couldn’t do this without you! Do you have a group w...
05/30/2026

Sending love to The Oncology Service for their continued support. We couldn’t do this without you! Do you have a group who would like to sponsor Dogs on Call? Email us at [email protected].

“I just needed a break.” That’s what a doctor told us last week. They sat on the floor with Rudee for five minutes. No w...
05/28/2026

“I just needed a break.” That’s what a doctor told us last week. They sat on the floor with Rudee for five minutes. No words. Just petting. When they stood up, they took a deep breath and went back to saving lives. We’re proud to provide the “paws” button.

Question of the Day: What is the weirdest thing your dog is afraid of? A vacuum? A toaster? The concept of thunder? Let ...
05/26/2026

Question of the Day: What is the weirdest thing your dog is afraid of? A vacuum? A toaster? The concept of thunder? Let us know in the comments so we can feel better about our own irrational fears.

It is incredibly hard to resist those puppy-dog eyes, but constantly giving in to begging with high-calorie treats drast...
05/25/2026

It is incredibly hard to resist those puppy-dog eyes, but constantly giving in to begging with high-calorie treats drastically increases your dog's risk for obesity and joint pain. The good news is that dogs care more about the action of getting a treat than what it actually is! Try swapping out processed biscuits for crunchy, dog-safe vegetables like baby carrots or green beans so you can still spoil them while protecting their long-term health.

Address

1200 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA
23298

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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