“Baldr” has become a household name since the cozy chocolate lab first arrived at University of Vermont Medical Center in August 2025. Together with his owner and handler, Michelle Carroll, the three-year old pup is one of the founding members of the hospital’s new Pups Assisting Wellness for Staff Program — affectionately known as PAWS.

“Our program is designed to bring therapy dogs to staff across the medical center to promote emotional wellness, connection and joy,” says Michelle Carroll, who joined UVM Medical Center as the PAWS program coordinator thanks to funding from the Lili Ruane Angels Fund. “It’s our hope that the calming presence of therapy dogs like Baldr will create a more supportive environment for our staff members, especially those that may be processing difficult experiences.”

Carroll is a longtime therapy dog volunteer at UVM Medical Center, a vet technician at Peak Veterinary Clinic and a facilities coordinator with Therapy Dogs of Vermont. In building the program, Carroll and the PAWS Program committee partnered with The Ohio State Buckeye Paws Program, a national leader in therapy dog programs for health care workers.

“Their team has shared invaluable resources, including policy documents and best practices, and they’ll remain connected with us moving forward,” says Carroll. “At their suggestion, we’ve also been working with veterinary epidemiologists to ensure we’re following the latest research in animal-assisted therapy.”

The PAWS Program also encourages staff members to work with their own dogs to become certified through Therapy Dogs of Vermont, allowing them to return to the workplace as volunteer therapy dog handler teams. By the spring of 2026, two additional staff members had joined the program with their dogs, with five more pursuing the necessary certification.

“It has been absolutely amazing watching Michelle and Baldr work here and support our staff,” says Manasseh Lamoureux, nurse manager of the surgical intensive care unit and co-founder of PAWS. “There have been so many smiles and positive comments from staff. They have had such an impact in such a short time. This is exactly what we were hoping for and I can’t wait to see how this program grows.”