Not every dog gets to celebrate turning three by dressing up as Buzz Lightyear. Or by walking into a room full of people who are genuinely excited to see him. But then again, Boris isn’t exactly an ordinary dog. The video shared by Storyful Viral shows the beloved therapy dog celebrating his birthday at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas. Here, the patients and staff threw him a party that looked like it had been planned by people who know exactly how much joy he brings to the building.
Children’s hospital celebrates therapy dog’s birthday with ‘Toy Story’ themed party
The birthday celebration took place on June 3 and leaned fully into a Toy Story theme. Hospital staff named the event “You’ve Got a Friend Who’s 3,” a playful nod to the famous song, You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman, associated with the movie franchise. Boris showed up ready for the occasion. He was sporting a Buzz Lightyear costume as he made his rounds through the party. Labradors are famous for their gentle nature and endless patience with children, and so make for natural therapy dogs.
Rachel Graves, Boris’s handler, told Storyful that he arrived at the hospital about a year ago as a consult facility dog. His job takes him throughout the hospital, where he meets pediatric patients facing different medical challenges. Along the way, he “can provide emotional comfort, play therapy, and even demonstrate medical procedures.”
The video shows him sitting sweetly as patients and staff sing him the birthday song, while fellow facility dogs Dexter, Stephan, and Declan join the festivities.
And there was plenty for the kids to do. According to information shared with Storyful, patients spent part of the celebration creating birthday crafts for Boris. This included their own versions of Forky from Toy Story. Later, Boris was gifted Forky and Mr. Potato Head toys. True to form, he didn’t keep them all to himself and shared them with his canine co-workers.
And judging by the smiles in the video, Boris may have spent his birthday making other people happy, which, it turns out, is exactly what he does every day.
Credit: Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital via Storyful
