A Purr-fect Match: “Pet the Pooch” Program Reunites Cancer Patient with Kitten after Weeks of Treatment

HUP’s “Pet the Pooch” program brings adoptable dogs and kittens from the Pennsylvania SPCA to help soothe employee stress. In their latest visit, one lucky kitten found a new home. When two-year-old CHOP patient Sophie Vincent (from Charlottesville, VA) passed through with her mother on the way to radiation treatment at the Roberts Proton Therapy Center, she saw the adorable animals and immediately shared an embrace with a kitten named Bitty. The treatments Sophie needed to undergo for the next few weeks prevented her from taking her new friend home right away, but HUP Nurse Heather Matthew, MSN, RN, founder of “Pet the Pooch,” fostered the kitten in the meantime. Earlier this week, Sophie was discharged — and brought Bitty home with her.To learn how you can adopt a cat or dog from the Pennsylvania SPCA, contact Kathy Giles at 215-426-6304 x 272 or kgiles@pspca.org.