Mayo Clinic Health System recognizing La Crosse service dogs

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) - A pair of furry friends at Mayo Clinic Health System’s La Crosse campus are being recognized for their work with patients.

September is National Service Dog Month, which is meant to show appreciation for dogs that are trained to perform specific tasks for people with disabilities.

Luna is a service dog that works with Mayo Clinic Rehab Services Supervisor Lisa Morgan in La Crosse, visiting patients and staff on a daily basis.

“She’s a fully trained service dog, so she’s trained in over 40 commands, and is able to use those 40 commands to engage actively with patients in care or treatment,” Morgan explained.

Luna was assigned to Mayo Clinic by Canine Companions, an organization that specializes in training service dogs and sending them throughout the country.

Mayo Clinic had never had a service dog prior to Luna, but Morgan’s previous work with Canine Companions lead her to begin a campaign to bring a dog to La Crosse.

“We do so much at Mayo to provide holistic care wrapped up in a great package, but then I found you bring a dog into the room, and it adds a dimension that we could never think of as humans,’ Morgan added.

Due to Luna’s popularity, Morgan had a hard time getting to all of the patients that wanted to see her, so a second dog was brought in to share the load.

“Luca is primarily in our cancer center, so he sees our oncology population,” Mayo Clinic Occupational Therapist Grace Skiles said. “He also participates with me during OT sessions, and he’s a little bit better at motivating patients sometimes to get some occupational therapy.”

Skiles has been Luca’s handler since he came to Mayo Clinic in 2020, and she says it’s been quite the rewarding experience.

“We typically meet patients maybe not on their best day, sometimes in the worst time of their lives,” Skiles expressed. “Having these dogs around brightens it a little bit, and makes the journey slightly easier.”

If demand for service dogs continues to be high, Morgan says a third may join Luca and Luna at Mayo Clinic one day.

To honor National Service Dog Month, Mayo Clinic will be lighting its Cancer Center Building blue and yellow on Thursday, the colors of Canine Companions.