Temple Health’s Episcopal Campus recently hosted its first Temple Tails adoption event, expanding a program that has been popular at other Temple Health locations. The Temple Tails initiative is known for bringing service dogs to help staff relax and organizing adoption events with local animal rescues.
Heather Matthew, RN, who co-leads the program with the Main Campus Office of Patient Experience, has worked to extend these events beyond the Temple University Hospital–Main Campus. “We’ve always wanted to host Temple Tails, because it’s just so amazing,” said Michele Agozzino, Performance Excellence Project Manager at Episcopal. She noted that Matthew facilitated the involvement of Morris Animal Refuge for this inaugural event and expressed hopes to collaborate with more rescues in future gatherings.
Staff members at Episcopal spent time interacting with several dogs available for adoption. Matthew also brought three puppies she had rescued from an abandoned building; although these puppies already had homes lined up, they were popular among staff. “Everyone was just in love,” Agozzino said. “It was so nice to spend time with all the dogs, whether we could adopt them or not. We all wanted to hold and play with them. It made everyone’s day.”
One highlight was when an Episcopal team member applied to adopt one of the rescue dogs after forming a bond during the event. “She really bonded with that dog,” Matthew said. “We’ve had a ton of adoptions through Temple Tails over the years. Any dog that can find a home, any day, is a success.”
In addition to supporting staff well-being and promoting pet adoption, these events allow Temple Health to contribute financially to participating animal rescues in recognition of their work in the community. “Temple Health always donates to each participating rescue,” Agozzino shared. “Spending time with the dogs is so special for us, and we want to do something meaningful for them.”
