Perth Children’s Hospital’s newest four-legged member, Luna the companion dog, brings joy to sick kids

There were lots of little smiling faces along the corridors of Perth Children’s Hospital as Luna trotted past. The almost two-year-old French bulldog had her first shift as an animal companion at the hospital on Thursday — and she did her job perfectly by bringing joy to WA’s sick kids. The hospital has several dogs who visit, providing emotional support to the young patients and their families. Angeline Rahurai, 2, has been visiting one-year-old sister Tatjana every day. And was very excited to meet Luna. For 11-year-old Royce White, who is receiving treatment for Cystic Fibrosis for two weeks, the visit from Luna was a little taste of home. Mum Kay White said they were far from their home in Merredin — 260km from Perth. “We’ve got pets and we miss them terribly — we don’t get to see them during this time so it means a lot to me as well as Royce,” she said. “We do bring some comforts from home but he doesn’t get his pets so this is big.” For handler Michelle Smith seeing the kids smiling faces is priceless. “I’ve had three dogs at PCH now as I started volunteering in 2009,” she said. “I was quite unwell myself and was craving the contact of animals so once I got well again I started doing this.”