Vito works at Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital bringing smiles to kids and adults alike. He is not your usual human doctor; he is a 2½-year-old Labrador retriever, who unlike regular physicians gets to sleep, eat and relax on the job. Best of all, he gets paid with hugs, treats and lots of love.
Lori Barrante, Vito’s owner, brings the dog to the hospital to make his usual rounds, and sometimes his work shifts prolong longer than usual. Yet, ‘dog’-tor Vito is used to the long working hours.
The canine’s visits allow patients to forget about their ailments and concentrate on the happiness a dog brings.
“Dogs always just make me happy because they’re happy,” Dalton Miller, who is battling acute myeloid leukemia, told Channel 4 Action News.
Barrante says Vito serves as inspiration to many hospital patients. The dog himself was born with a birth defect and had his kidney removed, but today Vito enjoys excellent health. Vito is a success case that brings hope to children. Maybe one day the children can enjoy a healthy life too.
‘Dog’-tor Vito might not be able to write a prescription to cure his patients, but he can mend broken hearts and uplift patients’ spirits.
