AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) - A beloved member of the Wellstar Children's Hospital of Georgia is hanging up her white coat. Nugget, a 10-year-old facility support dog, is officially retiring after providing comfort and smiles to patients since 2017.

On Thursday, Nov. 6, the hospital celebrated Nugget's service with a staff only retirement party event. She and her handler, Harleigh Smith, were the very first dog/handler team. Together, they have interacted with children more than thousands of times. She's also made treatment involving a needle easier for 5,500 young patients.

"There's so much data linking facility dogs in children's hospitals with pain control, anxiety being decreased, blood pressure decreasing," said Danielle Rosema, a pediatrician at the facility. "And we saw that coming throug

See Full Page