Brave Pets Launches at Connecticut Children’s with an Unforgettable Family Pet Reunion
“For ninety minutes, the hospital faded into the background.”
When Liki walked through the doors of the Brave Like Me Mobile Family Pet Reunion Center at Connecticut Children’s Hospital, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
Our team quietly stepped back as one young patient was reunited with a best friend after weeks apart. For nearly ninety minutes, there were no tests to think about, no therapies, no medical rounds, and no reminders of everything that child had been carrying. There was simply a child and a beloved dog, exactly where they both wanted to be.
Liki didn’t care about IV poles, hospital gowns, or why life suddenly looked different. Liki simply did what dogs do so naturally: offering unconditional love, unwavering loyalty, and the comforting reminder that some things never change.
That beautiful reunion became the very first visit inside the newly launched Brave Pets Mobile Family Pet Reunion Center at Connecticut Children’s Hospital, marking another exciting milestone for Brave Like Me and, more importantly, another unforgettable moment for a family navigating the unimaginable.
More Than Pet Therapy
Many children’s hospitals offer incredible Pet Therapy and Comfort Dog programs that bring smiles and encouragement to patients every day. Those programs make an extraordinary difference, and we deeply admire the professionals and volunteers who make them possible.
Brave Pets was created to complement those efforts by offering something uniquely personal. Instead of introducing a therapy animal, Brave Pets reunites hospitalized children with their own beloved family dog or cat inside a specially designed Mobile Family Pet Reunion Center.
For children with medical complexity, there is simply no substitute for the familiar sight, smell, and unconditional love of the pet waiting patiently at home. Medicine plays an essential role in healing the body, but sometimes healing begins with a wagging tail and the comfort of a lifelong companion.
Working Together with Child Life
Every Brave Pets reunion is thoughtfully coordinated alongside the outstanding Child Life Programs and medical teams at our partner hospitals. Child Life Specialists understand that caring for a child means caring for far more than a diagnosis. Emotional well-being, normal childhood experiences, and family connection all play an important role in helping children navigate long hospital stays.
That’s where Brave Pets fits in. For ninety precious minutes, one family wasn’t defined by appointments or procedures. They were simply together, creating a memory that will last far longer than the hospital stay itself.
Why These Moments Matter
The moments we create through Brave Pets may only last an hour or two, but the memories often last a lifetime.
We witnessed that firsthand in Connecticut. We see it every time a child lights up after seeing a beloved pet again. We see parents smile through tears as the stress of the hospital quietly melts away, even if only for a little while. Those reunions remind children they are so much more than their diagnosis, and they remind families that joy still belongs in the middle of difficult days.
Building Bravery Together
Programs like Brave Pets are never built by one organization alone. They are built by communities of people who believe every child deserves moments of uninhibited joy.
They’re made possible through generous Corporate Giving partners, employees whose companies offer Matching Gifts, volunteers who dedicate their Volunteer Time Off, passionate community members, and students looking for meaningful Teen Volunteer Opportunities. Every book packed, every volunteer hour, every donation, and every partnership helps create moments like Liki’s reunion.
Help Us Bring Brave Pets to More Children’s Hospitals
Connecticut Children’s Hospital is now the third hospital to launch a Brave Pets Mobile Family Pet Reunion Center, and we’re just getting started.
Our vision is simple: every child facing a long hospital stay should have the opportunity to reunite with the pet waiting faithfully at home. Every child deserves moments of uninhibited joy. Every family deserves memories that outlast the hospital stay.
Sometimes the most powerful medicine arrives on four legs, with a wagging tail.
