Story perspectives

ADNI’s therapy dogs ease autistic patients’ hospital anxiety

9/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Assistance Dogs Northern Ireland (ADNI) provides therapy dogs that calm autistic children in hospitals.
ADNI employs 34 fully-trained Labradoodles and six more in training, starting at eight to twelve weeks old.
Therapy dog Mia helped autistic child Clodagh attend Altnagelvin Hospital appointments with excitement, reducing anxiety.
CEO Geraldine McCaughey reports rising demand, including autistic adults.
She says therapy dogs have saved the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds despite limited funding.

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Story summary

Assistance Dogs Northern Ireland (ADNI) provides therapy dogs that calm autistic children in hospitals.
ADNI employs 34 fully-trained Labradoodles and six more in training, starting at eight to twelve weeks old.
Therapy dog Mia helped autistic child Clodagh attend Altnagelvin Hospital appointments with excitement, reducing anxiety.
CEO Geraldine McCaughey reports rising demand, including autistic adults.
She says therapy dogs have saved the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds despite limited funding.