【English Page】About Our Project

Thank You for Supporting Our Crowdfunding Campaign:

“If Only They Could Be by Their Side – Bringing a Facility Dog to Hyogo Prefectural Children’s Hospital”

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the warm support we have
received for our crowdfunding campaign, “If Only They Could Be by Their Side –
Bringing a Facility Dog to Hyogo Prefectural Children’s Hospital.”

Thanks to the generosity of over 1,200 donors, we successfully reached our initial goal of 20 million yen just 11 days after the campaign launched — as of
May 22. Alongside your contributions, we have also received many kind and
encouraging messages. These heartfelt words have been a great source of
strength for all of our staff. We are truly grateful for each and every act of
support, and we feel a deep sense of responsibility to live up to the trust and
expectations placed in us.

Recently, we welcomed Miko, a candidate Hospital Facility Dog®, along with her
handler, to our hospital. Together, they gave a demonstration for the children.
Seeing the children’s joyful expressions and the way the ward atmosphere brightened instantly reaffirmed the powerful role a facility dog can play in
supporting our young patients.

Although we have reached our initial goal, we do not consider this the finish line
— rather, it is just the beginning.

In order to ensure that the Hospital Facility Dog® and their handler can continue
to provide long-term, stable support to our patients, we must also consider the
cost of maintaining the programme. The annual operating cost for a facility dog is approximately 10 million yen. To ensure this support can be sustained for as long as possible, we have now set a NEXT GOAL of 42 million yen and will be
continuing the crowdfunding campaign.

This next goal includes:
• Expenses for strengthening internal hospital systems and infrastructure to
support
• Ongoing maintenance costs for the dog and handler’s activities after
• Crowdfunding platform fees and associated costs

This effort cannot succeed without your continued support. We would be most
grateful if you could share this initiative with your family, friends, and colleagues
to help expand the circle of support. The crowdfunding campaign will continue

until July 10. All of us at Hyogo Prefectural Children’s Hospital remain committed
to doing everything we can to bring smiles and comfort to the lives of our patients and their families. We sincerely appreciate your continued support.

Hyogo Prefectural Children’s Hospital
Hospital Director, Kazumoto Iijima

- What is a Facility Dog? -

Facility Dogs are specially trained working dogs who are raised to provide support at specific facilities such as hospitals, educational institutions, and courts.
In hospitals, Facility Dogs work as a team with their handlers — medical professionals who have received specialized training.

According to international guidelines, both Facility Dogs and their handlers are required to undergo the same level of professional training as guide dogs and service dogs.
This high standard of training is essential for Facility Dogs to work safely and effectively as part of the medical team.

■ Main Activities

The main activities of Facility Dogs can be divided into three major areas:

• Providing support through interaction and play
• Assisting during medical tests and treatments
• Offering companionship in palliative care
   

Because they are always present at the hospital, Facility Dogs become truly trusted and reassuring companions.

■ The Role of the Handler

Facility Dogs work as a team with handlers who have clinical experience, such as licensed nurses.
Handlers review medical records to understand each child’s condition and collaborate closely with doctors, nurses, and other medical staff to plan their interventions.

Because handlers are full-time and present at the hospital five days a week, they are able to provide not just one-off visits, but continuous and long-term support tailored to each child’s condition and treatment plan. This consistent presence helps build strong relationships of trust between the children and the Facility Dog team.

In hospital environments filled with delicate medical equipment — where even a small mistake could lead to an accident — the handler’s medical knowledge and experience are absolutely essential to ensure safe and effective activities.

For a Facility Dog program to succeed, the presence of a trained handler is just as critical as the dog itself.
 

- Messages of Support for the Introduction of a Facility Dog -

R with his parents 

Mrs Haruka Kihara 

- Voices of Children and Families from Other Hospitals -

Here are messages from children and families at hospitals that have already introduced Hospital Facility Dogs®.

- The Hospital Facility Dog® Program We Are Introducing -

A Hospital Facility Dog® is a specially trained dog who supports children undergoing inpatient treatment. The trademark rights for Hospital Facility Dog® in Japan are held by the certified non-profit organization Shine On! Kids.

There are four essential requirements that define the program:

Since the introduction of the program to Japan in 2010, Facility Dogs have built a strong track record — accompanying children to surgeries, assisting during blood tests, and offering day-to-day emotional support during hospital care.
Over the past 15 years, the program has continued without any accidents or incidents.

We deeply understand the meaning and responsibility of bringing a dog into a hospital — a place dedicated to protecting life — and, recognizing the program’s strict infection control measures and rigorous safety management, we have decided to introduce this trusted program at our hospital.

｜First Funding Goal: ¥20,000,000

・Partial costs for the training of the Facility Dog and preparation of the hospital environment
・Crowdfunding platform fees and other related expenses

｜Introduction Schedule

・April 2025 – March 2026: In-hospital training, Facility Dog training, and Handler training
・April 2026 – March 2027: Hospital environment preparation, continued in-hospital training, Facility Dog training, and Handler training
・April 2027: Official introduction of the Hospital Facility Dog®

※ This project follows an “All or Nothing” model. If the target amount is not reached by the deadline, all donations will be refunded to the donors.

※ Depending on the progress of the project, the schedule may change slightly.

※ The first funding goal of ¥20,000,000 will be used as part of the total cost needed to introduce the Facility Dog. Any additional support received beyond this amount will be used to cover the operational costs for the first year after the dog’s introduction.
To ensure the ongoing operation of the program beyond the first year, we may continue to conduct crowdfunding campaigns in the future.

Kazumoto Iijima

Director, Kobe Children’s Hospital

The Hospital Facility Dog® program greatly improves the healing environment for children who are undergoing long-term hospitalization. At Kobe Children’s Hospital, we are aiming to become the first children’s hospital in Western Japan to introduce a Hospital Facility Dog®.

We kindly ask for your support in helping us bring a Facility Dog to our hospital — to foster smiles in our children and to nurture their courage as they undergo their treatments.

Noriko Sekiguchi

Head of Psychiatry

When children battling illness — and their families — are going through truly painful times, there are moments when no words can reach them, and even talking to someone feels too heavy to bear. At times like these, having a warm, gentle presence simply sitting quietly beside them can bring a kind of healing that words cannot.

I truly hope that with the arrival of a Hospital Facility Dog®, children and their families will have moments where they can find comfort — simply by hugging the dog tightly.

We sincerely ask for your support in helping bring this powerful source of strength to our hospital.

Takeshi Mori

Head of Hematology and Oncology

I work with children facing pediatric cancer. From the moment they are hospitalised in an emergency to the day they are discharged, these children and their families encounter countless hardships.

As doctors, we must focus on explaining what must be done to treat their illness — but at the same time, it is often very difficult for us to deliver peace and comfort.
Facility Dogs have the gentle presence and steady gaze that can ease a child’s anxiety — not through words, but simply by being there.

We strongly feel that the power of a Facility Dog is something we truly need. We humbly ask for your warm support in making this a reality.

Aya Sueda

Chief Physician, Department of Anesthesiology

As a pediatric anesthesiologist, I face children’s anxiety before surgeries and general anesthesia every day.
When I visited a hospital that had introduced a Facility Dog, I could feel — almost physically — how the atmosphere in the room changed completely.

Seeing children naturally smile and relax as they interacted with the dog, and witnessing how it brought peace and hope to families enduring long hospital stays, I realized that this is more than just emotional comfort — it is something that has the power to enhance the quality of medical care itself.

While the effectiveness of Facility Dogs is widely recognized overseas, here in Japan, they are not yet covered by the medical reimbursement system, making the support of donors essential to bring this to reality.

We sincerely ask for your support, so that we can deliver an extra layer of warm, compassionate care for children and their families.

Nursing Department (Nasu, Onishi, Tasaka)

Hyogo Prefectural Children’s Hospital

At the Nursing Department of Hyogo Prefectural Children’s Hospital, we are committed to practicing nursing that draws out children’s “smiles” and their “strength to keep going”.  Our slogan is, “Shōni Nursing” — a special play on words meaning both “Pediatric Nursing” and “Smiling Child Nursing.”

Through our care, we focus on “Watching,” “Protecting,” “Communicating,” and “Connecting.” We aim to stay close to the hearts of children facing illness and their families, helping them smile — not just outwardly, but from deep within.

Even during long hospital stays or repeated outpatient visits, we want children to feel proud of how hard they have fought, and to carry the strength they built here into adulthood — overcoming any challenges that life places in their path.

In practicing this kind of care, Facility Dogs play an important role by reaching the parts of children’s hearts that even we cannot always reach.
We hope to welcome a Facility Dog as a full member of our hospital team, working side by side with us to support the care of children and their families.

A Facility Dog for Kobe Children’s Hospital…
Won’t you become a supporter to help make this dream a reality? We sincerely ask for your warm support.

Mureo Kasahara

Director, National Center for Child Health and Development

At our center, Masa — our Facility Dog — is by the side of children battling illness with their families every day. He brings immeasurable healing and courage to their hearts.
Masa’s wonderful activities in medical care have also become a symbol of new hope for us, the healthcare providers.

I sincerely hope that a Facility Dog will become a pillar of emotional support for many children at Kobe Children’s Hospital as well, spreading smiles throughout the hospital.

I am confident that this new step will bring even greater light to pediatric healthcare across Japan.

Yuko Morita

Facility Dog Handler, Shine On! Kids (Certified NPO)

My name is Yuko Morita, and I am a Facility Dog Handler.
It has now been 15 years since I first began working with Bailey — Japan’s very first Facility Dog.

In the beginning, because there were no examples to follow in Japan, we had to start from scratch. There were times when I struggled, feeling that what we were doing was still far from the level of Facility Dog programs I had seen in the United States.
But now, I’m proud to say that the number of handlers has grown, and we have established proper manuals and operational standards.
I also feel that not only medical professionals, but more and more members of the public are beginning to recognise the important role that working dogs like Facility Dogs play.

I am truly overjoyed that Kobe Children’s Hospital has decided to become the first children’s hospital in Western Japan to introduce a Facility Dog. This program was built together — by the children who have been our patients, and by the medical staff who supported us. This decision feels like recognition of all the hard work we have put in together.

From here, we hope to expand Facility Dog activities even further across Japan, and to bring even more smiles to the faces of children fighting through their hospital treatments.

I am cheering wholeheartedly for everyone at Kobe Children’s Hospital as they take this important step forward.

Project Manager

Issei Iijima (Hyogo Prefectural Children’s Hospital)

Project Completion Date

April 30, 2027

Project Overview and Use of Funds

To improve the healing environment for children, funds will be used to support the training of the Facility Dog and the preparation of the hospital environment, aiming for the introduction of the Facility Dog in April 2027.

Risks & Challenges

Difference Between the Total Project Cost and the Initial Funding Goal

We plan to secure the necessary funds through multiple fundraising efforts.