By Ella Chan | Contributing Writer
Bodhi looks towards a window in the Kinney Performance Center at the hospital on Jan. 27, 2026. Ella Chan
Syracuse, N.Y. — Bodhi’s days volunteering at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital are a little like his days at home, just with a lot more kids.
At the hospital, he goes from patient to patient, jumping on beds and getting lots of snuggles. The 3-year-old is “calm, cool and collected,” says Stephanie L. Mack, manager for Upstate’s volunteer programs.
In other words, he’s got the perfect temperament for a therapy dog.
But Tuesday, Bodhi’s calm was needed for the stage. For the first time since he started competing as a show dog, Bodhi participated in the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in Manhattan.
“Westminster is the super bowl of dog shows,” Lynn Coates, Bodhi’s human and handler, said. “It’s huge, and we’re very blessed.”
Bodhi, nicknamed “Bodalicious” at home and formally “Storybook Jumpin Jack” on stage, is a purebred Golden Retriever who has been training to participate in dog shows for almost his entire life. For the past two and a half years, he officially competed to receive numerous awards, ribbons and titles, such as Canadian Grand Champion and American Champion. The latter title is what finally qualified him to compete at Westminster.
Alongside his accolades as a show dog, however, Bodhi is well-loved within the Syracuse community. From playing Sandy in Gillette Road Middle School’s recent rendition of “Annie” to his monthly visits to Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, Bodhi is a source of comfort and cheer.
Bodhi, a 3-year-old Golden Retriever, competed in the 2026 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in Manhattan. Once a month, he does much more important work: Visiting patients at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
“Everybody loves Bodhi around here,” Jaclyn Levy, a certified Child Life Specialist at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital said. “He just has this something about him that he just knows when people need a little extra loving.”
Bodhi volunteers for two hours at the children’s hospital every third Thursday, cuddling with children and occasionally napping on their beds with them.
His work as a therapy dog began before he was 1. He earned his his certificate and started working towards becoming a volunteer at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. Alongside the therapy dog certificate, PAWS of CNY must certify dogs that have at least 40 hours of volunteer work for them to be an Animal Assisted Therapy volunteer at the hospital.
It was all worth the effort, because patients, parents and staff adore Bodhi. Even patients who cannot leave their rooms to interact with him directly gain comfort when he paws by.
“Sometimes we’ll just bring Bodhi up to the window and the kids will go right up to the window and wave to him,” Levy said. “Even the kids that aren’t able to physically touch him are able to benefit from him.”
Staff and parents stop to say hello whenever Bodhi walks down the halls on his way to visit patients or treat himself to a Puppaccino— a free espresso-sized dog treat of whipped cream— in the hospital’s indoor Starbucks.
“All of the four-legged volunteers that come into an Upstate facility are a joy and spread smiles and sometimes a little exhale,” Mack said. “For parents, sometimes it’s a source of like ‘okay, things are normal for a second.’”
For the full article including a slideshow of more photos visit Syracuse.com
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