Man's best friend joins the staff: Meet Toby the dog, a new staff member at a Tel Aviv hospital

Toby has undergone special training at the Assuta Ramat Ha’hayal private hospital in Tel Aviv and wears a staffer badge around his neck, complete with a photograph i.d.

He will participate in research conducted by the hospital’s hemato-oncology department that treats patients who suffer from blood cancers.

But Toby is not a nurse or even a human. He is a tan-black-and-white therapy dog – a Pomeranian-Husky hybrid with big ears, a lot of fur, and a sweet disposition. – and he is the personal pet of Dr. Mai Bassoud, a senior physician in the department.

Toby was 'born to be a therapy dog'

At present, Toby is finishing his apprenticeship in the department, and will soon work on a daily basis with his owner and other physicians. They will test of effects of Toby’s licking, hugging, and enchanting cancer patients, including their blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation, mood, patience and willingness to come for chemotherapy treatment lasting as long as five hours.

Trained by an expert in dog behavior, Toby knows how to be attentive to patients. Bassoud says the canine “was simply born to be a therapy dog. We didn’t have to educate him, as he is a loving dog who loves to be petted, hugged, and kissed. He easily adjusts himself to the energy of the patients.”

Opened in 2009, the hospital has 10 floors and 16 surgery rooms equipped with the latest in international medical and engineering technology. It has more than 200 hospital beds, 12 emergency room beds, and two monitoring labs, as well as a high-level oncology institute and one of the largest imaging facilities in Israel.