Cian's Kennels, a new €100,000 facility, will allow pets to visit the Children's Hospital at Crumlin.
Children from across the country, including those from Waterford City and County, will soon be allowed invite in their own dog or cat.
The move follows a huge community effort and a national fundraising campaign, when fifteen-year-old Cian Neary from Longford died from a rare form of Lymphoma, having undergone treatment at CHI at Crumlin.
Cian was about start on a bone marrow transplant journey when he became very ill in June 2019 and spent the next three months in Crumlin hospital. While there, Cian pined for his dog Cooper but, with the support and goodwill of many people and organisations, the family managed to bring the dog to Dublin and base him in kennels near the hospital.
Cian visited Cooper most days and the positive impact these meetings inspired what happened next.
The new Cian’s Kennels base at the hospital idea was born with Cian in Summer 2019 when Cooper arrived in Dublin. From that point onwards, the family pledged to continue that journey in Cian’s memory by bringing pets closer to sick children and their families. That dream will become a reality when work at the site commences in the coming days.
Work commencing on Cian's Kennels Crumlin
Work starts at the hospital in CHI at Crumlin today (January 10th) to erect specially designed holding kennels for pets, complete with a seating area for families, an indoor and outdoor area for pets and bathroom/toilet facilities which will allow children at the hospital to see their beloved pets on the campus in a controlled situation.
During this phase 1 period, pets will board at the nearby DSPCA pet hotel and will be transported by Cian’s Kennels over and back to the hospital to visit sick children and their families by appointment.
It is hoped that the services provided by Cian’s Kennels will enhance the hospital stay experience for sick children and their families.
The new service will include full veterinary checks including vaccinations for the visiting pets before they arrive at the hospital. Transport from home to and from the kennels will also be covered.
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