Grace Sagara and her 6-year-old black Labrador Scully are familiar faces to the UCLA Medical Center.

Sagara and Scully were among the group of carolers and their canines that annually visits UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital dressed in festive costumes on Dec. 19 to spread holiday cheer to the young patients staying in the hospital over Christmas.

Fifteen volunteer teams of antler-clad dogs and their owners walked through the halls of the hospital’s pediatric unit in the hopes of livening the holidays with carols, ending with a rendition of “Silent Night” in the intensive-care unit.

The dogs and their owners are trained members of UCLA’s People Animal Connection, an animal-assisted therapy program that has held the caroling event at the hospital for the last 10 years.

Sagara has been a People Animal Connection volunteer for 12 years.
“Many of the kids were very sick and asleep so they were not aware of what was going on,” Sagara said. “But I think their family members and the staff really appreciate it.”

Founded in 1994, UCLA’s People Animal Connection now consists of more than 50 volunteer teams that visit more than 500 critically ill patients each month in over 40 diverse units of the medical facilities at UCLA, according to the organization’s website.

The goal of PAC volunteer teams is to provide a more humane environment to patients, family and staff in the hospital and to promote physical healing and emotional well-being through the canine’s unconditional bond with patients, said People Animal Connection director Jack Barron.

According to Barron, research has shown that animal-assisted therapy contributes to decreased blood pressure and heart rate in addition to making patients happy.

Not just anyone can participate in PAC, though.
“To be a PAC team, an owner and their dog must complete a behavioral exam and a process of screening and training,” Barron said. “The teams are required to volunteer every two weeks for two hours at a time.”

For Sagara, it was worth it.
“I joined PAC because I work as a paralegal and it doesn’t really feed my soul,” Sagara said. “For me, it’s the perfect combination of volunteering and my love of dogs. It’s giving back to the community and it’s nice to see people smile.”