Via CNSNews:

The Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health has suspended its dog therapy program because of the government shutdown, according to John Burklow, spokesperson for NIH.

Burklow said the dogs, which pay visits to patients in the hospital, including children with cancer, have to seen by veterinarians, and a “team” on staff made the decision to suspend program.

“A vet needs to evaluate the dogs, and given that there is a 25 percent reduction in staff (furloughed), we focus our activities and staffing on the care of patients already at our hospital,” Burklow said.

Volunteers run the dog therapy program, but the veterinarians are on NIH staff and are paid as federal employees.

In an Oct. 3 interview on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, Abbey Whetzel talked about her son, Sam, who is dying of leukemia and enjoyed it when he was visited by the dogs.

Keep reading…

- See more at: http://weaselzippers.us/2013/10/08/nih-p...h.TQYugsYf.dpuf

Quote: Justme wrote in post #2

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There is no such thing as charity to a liberal

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