ROANOKE, Va – A new employee at Carilion Clinic is lending a helping paw and an attentive ear to patients in need. Wali, a Saint Francis Service Dog, is making history as the Roanoke Valley’s first pediatric facility dog at Carilion Children’s Tanglewood Center.
Facility dogs like Wali differ from service or therapy dogs. They are specifically trained to work in clinical settings, providing therapeutic support to patients and assisting healthcare professionals. They are also trained to work with multiple handlers.
Wali helps patients going through behavioral health, and physical, or occupational therapy. Dr. Tara Mitchell is a licensed clinical psychologist and the co-chief of pediatric behavioral health at Carilion Clinic. She’s also Wali’s primary handler.
She said the idea for a facility dog was nearly three years in the making.
“There was a lot of steps to go through with Carilion. It took about a year,” said Mitchell. “I then applied with Saint Francis and became a candidate once they accepted the application. I did candidate classes for about a year. And then we were matched after about a year and a half.”
Wali comes to work prepared, with both his vest and badge, signaling he’s ready for the job. He is able to work 40 hours a week and is trained to work with seven handlers.
“For the five providers that utilize him, we have a schedule on [Microsoft] Teams and he has his own schedule. So people schedule their time with him,” said Mitchell.
Wali began working in July after over two years of intensive training with Saint Francis Service Dogs, a Roanoke-based nonprofit that placed him with Carilion Children’s at no cost.
Executive Director Cabell Youell says Wali was the perfect match, noting, “He’s got a lot of energy. He has a lot of joy. He is a playful dog. He loves to engage with people. And he is an intuitive dog. He’s very good at reading a room and he’s very good at responding to the people who are in the room.”
Mitchell said the positive impact of Wali’s presence is already evident.
“He really calms the room. Where kids that might feel anxious to come to treatment, even teenagers that might feel anxious to come, he kind of helps de-escalate the situation,” said Mitchell. “I’ve seen really positive progress in terms of increasing that motivation and participation in treatment.”
Looking to the future, Dr. Mitchell hopes to see the program expand.
“I’m excited to see how our facility dog program grows,” she said.
Through Wali, Carilion Children’s is pioneering a new approach to patient care in the Roanoke Valley, one that brings compassion and canine companionship directly into the therapeutic setting.