A Year of Impact: Adele the Service Dog’s Story at the Hospital for Special Care
December 13, 2024
Earlier this year, a very special team member joined the Hospital for Special Care (HFSC) – a black Labrador Retriever named Adele. Adele isn’t just any staff member. She has a shiny black coat, wet nose, and stompy paws – but more importantly, she brings her unique training and expertise to support children on the autism spectrum.
Adele is pivotal in supporting the hospital’s team of occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other professionals as HFSC’s first specially trained service dog. Together, they offer a new, innovative form of therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Danielle Gonyea, a mother of three young boys on the autism spectrum, shared her excitement about this new addition to the team: “With the introduction of this service dog, we’ve experienced a new form of therapy that, in all these years, we’ve never had before.” 1 Her boys have been receiving autism services at HFSC since their diagnosis, and now benefit greatly from Adele’s presence. She helps them feel more at ease with transitions, offers support for daily living skills like allowing them to brush her teeth, and Adele even responds to commands through children’s augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.
Over the past year, Adele has become a source of comfort and joy at HFSC. She’s brought a sense of calm to the outpatient center, helping children feel more relaxed during therapy sessions and at various HFSC events. Adele has participated in community activities like the program’s Touch-a-Truck, HFSC’s Annual Donor Reception, and the HFSC Ivan Lendl Adaptive Sports Camp – always bringing smiles to the faces of children and families.
Adele has quickly become a beloved figure at the Autism Center, and we are thrilled to continue innovating this unique form of therapy with her by our side.
Adele was donated to the Hospital for Special Care Autism Center by The Hometown Foundation, Inc. and trained by Forever In My Heart Foundation. Michael Gallagher of Gallagher Buick GMC in New Britain provided a $10,000 sponsorship as part of the car dealership’s commitment to the New Britain community. Pierogies for Paws also supported with a $15,000 grant.
We are incredibly grateful for these contributions and excited about Adele’s continued positive impact on the children and families we serve.
1 https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/hartford/new-britain-hospital-welcomes-service-dog/