Welcome to the Walk and Play LA 2025 page for Kate and therapy dogs Kacey and Winnie.  We're joining Team Paws for a Cause -- a group dedicated to raising money for and awareness of the Dog Therapy Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles - for this ninth annual event.   

Kacey and Winnie are my fourth and fifth therapy dog partners over 17 years, and baby sister Ruby is training to learn the job too.  Kacey specializes in long, calm bed snuggles in the emergency department and intensive care units.   Winnie does palliative care visits, general patient visits, helped pilot our animal assisted crisis response program, and will soon be assisting rehab patients during therapy.  They comfort those who are upset, they bring joy and laughter into the hospital room, and they offer nonjudgmental support and encouragement to kids of all ages and medical challenges.  

More children receive care from CHLA than any other hospital in the region—and often CHLA comes to the rescue when other hospitals run out of medical options or don’t have the expertise to treat young patients. Walk & Play L.A. supports the only hospital solely dedicated to the health of children in Los Angeles. Team Paws for a Cause fundraises exclusively for the CHLA dog therapy program, which provides meaningful, individualized support to a thousand patients each month at the bedside, during treatment and during therapies.  There are physical, emotional and social benefits to dog therapy encounters, which can be more open-ended or with a specific treatment goal in mind.  

This year, the program logged over 100,000 interactions across 28 distinct clinical destinations and staff and family programming.  New programming includes the Emergency Department and Animal assisted crisis response.

Dog therapy at CHLA is 100% donor funded.   For us to sustain this service, we rely on a community of donors and allies.

Here are a few ways you can get involved:

• Donate to help me reach my fundraising goal. 
• Sign up to join our team.  Walk with us and create your own fundraising page for Walk & Play L.A.!

I hope you’ll consider a donation to Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Your tax-deductible gift will make a difference in the lives of many young patients and their families. Any amount will be greatly appreciated and will help further CHLA’s mission to create hope and build healthier futures. 

Thank you!