NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Welcomes Weasley, New Pet Therapy Dog to Support Behavioral Health Patients
Elmhurst Hospital’s PAWS to HEAL program launches through partnership with Canine Companions
Sep 14, 2026
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst today announced the addition of Weasley, a professionally trained pet therapy dog who will support patients and staff as part of the hospital’s new PAWS to HEAL program, short for Psychiatry Animal-Assisted Wellness Support to Help Ease All Loads. The two-year-old Labrador/Golden Retriever mix was provided by Canine Companions, a national nonprofit that breeds, raises and professionally trains assistance dogs at no cost to the individuals and organizations they serve. Weasley will primarily work with patients on Elmhurst Hospital’s adult, adolescent and forensic inpatient behavioral health units and will also participate in select outpatient groups. Activities may focus on emotional regulation, anxiety reduction, socialization, communication, self-esteem and patient engagement. Structured sessions may include mindfulness exercises, creative arts activities and opportunities for patients to interact with Weasley using skills he has been trained to perform. While Weasley’s primary role will be supporting behavioral health patients, he will also make occasional appearances through the hospital’s employee Wellness Center when his clinical schedule allows.
“Weasley and our PAWS to HEAL program bring an innovative dimension to the high-quality behavioral health services we provide,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst CEO Alina Moran. “Hospital pet therapy dogs can bring tremendous joy to patients, offering comfort, connection, play and engagement as part of the healing process. I am incredibly proud of our Behavioral Health team for the creativity and dedication they have shown in developing this program and finding new ways to support mental health in our community.”
“Integrating a trained pet therapy dog into our Behavioral Health services gives us another meaningful way to connect with and support our patients,” said Omar Fattal, MD, NYC Health + Hospitals Chief Behavioral Health Officer. “Through PAWS to HEAL, we are integrating another strategy for creating a welcoming environment where patients feel more at ease, engaged, and connected. This program reflects our commitment to innovative, compassionate care, and I am proud of Elmhurst hospital’s Behavioral Health team whose vision and dedication made it possible.”
“Bringing Weasley on board is a testament to what collaboration and dedication can achieve for our patients,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Chief of Behavioral Health Services and Psychiatry Dr. Vladimir Gasca. “Weasley is already making a noticeable difference in our Behavioral Health department, and we are grateful to everyone who helped make this new program possible.”
“The goal of animal-assisted therapy is to enhance the therapeutic environment and support patients in their recovery,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Director of Creative Arts Therapy and Activity Therapy Michelle Helfman. “Interactions with a trained facility dog can provide comfort, encourage positive social interaction and help patients participate more fully in treatment. We are delighted to welcome Weasley and expand a program we have been working toward for many years.”
Weasley works under the supervision of his primary handler, Dr. Angelica Terepka, NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s Director of Psychology, and secondary handler Erin Carroll, LCAT. Both completed an intensive two-week hands-on training program through Canine Companions. One of Weasley’s designated handlers is present whenever he is working with patients.
“Weasley has a remarkable ability to connect with people,” said Dr. Terepka. “He often gravitates toward someone who needs comfort, resting his head on a patient’s lap or simply sitting quietly beside them. In behavioral health, healing is built on connection, and Weasley reminds us that compassion can take many forms.”
Participation in PAWS to HEAL is voluntary and requires patient consent. Patients are clinically screened before taking part, and those who are allergic to dogs, fearful of dogs or do not wish to participate are not present during sessions. A trained handler remains with Weasley at all times, and he does not interact with patients who are experiencing an acute psychiatric emergency or who are in restraint or seclusion. Patients also perform hand hygiene before and after interacting with him.
A typical group interaction with Weasley lasts approximately 30 to 45 minutes. He is scheduled to work four days each week, visiting several behavioral health units each day with designated rest periods between sessions. The program is also designed to protect Weasley’s health and well-being, with his handlers trained to monitor his behavior, comfort and level of engagement throughout the workday. When his workday is over, Weasley goes home with Dr. Terepka, where he gets plenty of time to rest and play before returning to work.
“We are thrilled to partner with NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst,” said Jessica Reiss, Northeast Region Program Director for Canine Companions. “A facility dog can have a meaningful impact on both the hospital culture and patient experience by participating in therapy and other activities that support connection and well-being.”
The new PAWS to HEAL program builds on approximately six years of work by Elmhurst Hospital’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Services to incorporate animal-assisted interventions into patient care. During that time, the hospital maintained a limited pet-therapy program with an outside community organization while developing the policies, patient consent procedures, and clinical programming needed to establish a permanent facility-dog program.
Elmhurst Hospital plans to evaluate the program by looking at measures including patient experience, participation in group therapy, changes in mood, and patient motivation related to behavioral change. Canine Companions will continue to provide ongoing support, evaluations and health monitoring throughout his placement at Elmhurst Hospital.
The PAWS to HEAL program is part of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst’s broader commitment to providing accessible, evidence-informed and patient-centered behavioral health care to diverse communities. For more information on programs and services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, please call 718 334-4000 or visit us at nychealthandhospitals.org. Follow Elmhurst Hospital on Instagram and Facebook at @elmhursthosp.
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Media Contact: Atiya Butler, Director of External Affairs at Elmhurst Hospital, 917-319-5167
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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, part of the NYC Health + Hospitals health care system, is the major tertiary care provider in the borough of Queens. The 545-bed hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station, a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Receiving Center, a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Center of Excellence, and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere health care institution offering exceptional services across a wide range of specialties, including surgery, cardiology, women’s health, pediatrics, rehabilitation medicine, renal services, and mental health care. In the past year alone, the hospital received nearly one million ambulatory care visits and over 140,000 emergency room visits, reflecting its essential role in the community. NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst has been nationally ranked and recognized as a “Best Regional Hospital” by U.S. News & World Report in critical areas such as Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Stroke, Hip Fracture, Maternity, Kidney Failure, Orthopedics, Pneumonia, and COPD.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.