Charlotte the Corgi Brings Pawsitive Vibes to Frontline Workers

SALEM, Mass. – Nearly every week, the sound of Charlotte the Corgi’s paws can be heard throughout the hallways of Salem Hospital. A local celebrity of sorts, the three-year-old certified pet therapy dog proudly makes her rounds providing comfort and joy to frontline healthcare workers and staff.

Charlotte resides in Boxford with her owners, Brian and Janet Barnes. Janet is Salem Hospital’s Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety. From the moment the husband-and-wife duo met their newest four-legged family member as a puppy, they knew she had the temperament to be of service. To become a certified therapy dog, she must successfully complete three different training programs, one of which only 1 in 10 dogs pass. She began her work at Care Dimensions, a North Shore hospice and palliative care organization, and last year expanded her visits to Salem Hospital.

“Charlotte is just a normal dog at home who barks too much and enjoys treats,” says Brian, who accompanies Charlotte on her service visits. “But, when you put the service vest on her and tell her that it’s time to go to work, Charlotte calms down and knows exactly what to do.”

The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is historically known as a cattle herding breed, with a short stature and size. Charlotte weighs in at about 30 lbs. and with her unique tri-color fluffy coat and task- oriented mindset, she makes the perfect companion for those who meet her. When she visits hospice patients, she sits on a chair next to them or scoots to the edge of their beds. When she enters Salem Hospital, she is excited by the elevators and automatic doors and proudly walks the hallways accepting pets from anyone who will pay her attention. She is happy to comfort patients and staff members alike.

“It’s amazing to see Charlotte in action, she brings a smile to everyone’s faces,” says Janet, who is responsible for bringing pet therapy visits for staff to Salem Hospital. “Her ability to bring comfort and peace to those who need it most or those who don’t realize they need it is heartwarming. When it is safe to do so, we plan to get Charlotte nationally certified so that she can work her magic in other institutions, including area schools.”

Since March 2020, frontline staff members at Salem Hospital, one of the state’s hardest-hit community hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, have worked diligently to care for the North Shore community. Charlotte’s pet therapy visits give employees the opportunity to take a breath and pet and hold her, offering respite as healthcare workers and staff adapt to the personal and professional challenges of the pandemic.

“Charlotte’s presence on Davenport 7 brightens everyone’s day,” says Donna Barrett, RN, MA, Nurse Director on Davenport 7 at Salem Hospital. “It is so wonderful to see my staff’s smiling eyes when she appears and feel the joy that our little, adorable, and much-loved visitor, Charlotte selflessly provides for my staff. Also, the gifts of kindness and sharing that Brian and Janet have given all of us, lightens our hearts at a time when we need it most.”

Charlotte’s adventures and service visits are chronicled on Instagram. Follow her at @charlottethefluffy.

About Salem Hospital

Salem Hospital is a member of Mass General Brigham, an academic healthcare system founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital that is uniting great minds to make life-changing impact for patients in local communities and around the world. Serving the North Shore community for more than 100 years, Salem Hospital provides innovative medical, surgical and psychiatric care through an array of inpatient, outpatient and virtual settings including Salem Hospital, the Epstein Center for Behavioral Health, North Shore Physicians Group and a medical staff of nearly 700 physicians practicing in a wide range of specialties. For more information, please visit nsmc.partners.org. For information about Mass General Brigham, visit massgeneralbrigham.org.

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