Facility Dog Boomer, Trained For 45 Specialized Tasks, Soothes Children Before Bone Marrow Transplant

Facility Dog Boomer Joins Johns Hopkins All children’s To Support bone marrow Transplant Patient

USA: A 10-year-old patient at Johns Hopkins All children’s Hospital is preparing to undergo a bone marrow transplant and has been paired with a new full-time facility dog to help ease the experience. The boy, identified as Nolan, met Boomer, a 2-year-old yellow Labrador–golden retriever mix, during pre-transplant care and was visibly calmer and more confident with the dog at his side as surgery day approaches.

Boomer arrives as the hospital’s newest trained caregiver, joining an earlier facility dog named Brea to expand comfort services for children and families. Boomer completed two years of preparation and learned more than 45 specialized tasks designed for medical settings. She is assigned a handler, Natalie Schmidt, and will work across wards to provide steady, hands-on support to young patients facing invasive treatments like transplantation.

Staff describe Boomer’s role as practical and emotional: to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and make lengthy hospital stays less overwhelming for children. The dog is described as affectionate and attentive, often offering close, calming contact that helps distract from procedures and promotes a sense of safety before and after transplant-related interventions. The presence of a trained animal is presented as one of several therapeutic options used when standard distractions or interventions are insufficient.

The facility dog program is funded through the Dunkin Joy in Childhood Foundation and Canine Companions, and Boomer and her handler will be on duty throughout the hospital to support daily patient care. Hospital leaders framed the addition as a deliberate expansion of nonclinical resources aimed at improving the patient experience for those preparing for or recovering from bone marrow transplantation.