Astro dog cheers up patients at Hermann Hospital
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A four-legged Houston Astros fan is helping kids at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital get in the World Series spirit.
Dexter, a three-year-old golden retriever and labrador mix, wears a blue and orange Astros shirt as he roams the halls of the hospital with his handler.
His job is to help support the children who are hospitalized as they fight to get better.
"He is the best golden retriever and lab I've ever met in my life," said 9-year-old Austyn, a patient at the hospital.
Since February, Dexter has been working with various patients, who can't help but smile when they see the dog making his way down the hallway.
The dog can even play a little baseball, holding a plastic bat in his mouth as he knocks a ball off of a tee.
"We're here helping kids meet some of their different medical goals, using his training to really come alongside of them and see how we can best help to meet those different needs that they have going on," said Christy Lang, a child life specialist at the hospital.
Dexter celebrated his birthday last Friday and patients threw him a party complete with a birthday cake.
