On the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 7, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia hosted the second annual “Best Friends Bash” for 15 of their craniofacial patients. The children had the opportunity to meet dogs with similar conditions, including four patients at Penn’s School of Veterinary Medicine’s Ryan Hospital in the department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery. Members of The Gerald B. Schreiber Pet Therapy Program at CHOP also participated. This unique partnership aims to help children see how dogs are affected by similar problems and how they have adapted.

The event began with remarks from Penn Vet oral surgeons Alexander Reiter and Maria Soltero-Rivera, CHOP plastic surgeons Scott Bartlett and Jesse Taylor, and parent liaison for CHOP’s craniofacial program Diana Sweeney.

Children and their families were then treated to dinner, dessert, and demonstrations of canine patients showing off their skills: jumping through hula hoops, dunking a basketball and playing a toy piano among them. There was also ample opportunity for cuddles as the CHOP patients pet and played with canine guests Bosco, Frankie, Emma, Monroe, Magic, Vivian Peyton, Rumor, and Cyrus. The event was funded by a grant from Penn’s Center for Human Appearance.