

	Featured Story		Dog of the Day

Max

Please Note: The dog in the accompanying photograph is the subject of the story, but the person pictured is probably not the patient in the story.

"It's Max!" I heard a voice happily exclaim. Max and I had just entered a room on the 6th floor at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and my King Charles Spaniel was trotting a few steps ahead of me.

It's always with mixed feelings that Max & I are reacquainted with families at the hospital. Although we don't like children to be in the hospital, it's a joy to see familiar faces and watch how happy they are to see Max again.

Shanna's mother had quickly recognized Max from our visit the previous week and was already helping her daughter move over in the bed in order to make room for Max. It's funny how such a little dog can become such a big priority!

I lifted Max on to bed and he promptly walked over to say hello to Shanna. After a quick kiss, he snuggled in beside her. She started to pet his long wavy ears and was instantly rewarded with a wagging tail.

Her mother explained that Shanna was feeling much better than the previous week when we had seen her. The best news was that she was scheduled to go home later that day!

We wanted to send Shanna off with a great photo, so we made sure that Max showed off his Christmas collar and Shanna showed off her beautiful smile. We even got her balloons in the background.

After a few cookies for Max (he loves to eat right from your hand), we wished Shanna all the best for a safe journey home.