Bethesda, MD – Families at The Children’s Inn will be celebrating their newest resident, therapy dog, Vi Mars during National Pet Therapy Month with a welcoming party complete with dog-themed games and treats, including dozens of “pup cakes” donated by Couture Cupcakes of the Greater D.C. area.

Vi Mars, a yellow Labrador therapy dog was donated by Mars, Incorporated. This is the first time a therapy dog is living at The Inn and media is invited to join the welcoming party.

WHO: Vi, the live-in therapy dog at the Children’s Inn at NIH and children and their families at the Inn. Representatives from Mars and The Inn will also be available for interviews.

WHAT: Vi Mars Welcoming Party as part of National Pet Therapy Month

WHEN: Wednesday, April. 29, 4:30-6 pm

WHERE: The Children’s Inn at NIH,
7 West Drive, Bethesda, MD

WHY: Pets are a wonderful comfort to children, especially those battling a serious illness. Although therapy dogs have long been welcome visitors at The Children’s Inn at NIH, Vi is the first dog to live with the children and their families at The Inn. Vi is a retired working guide dog, certified by The Seeing Eye, a national training program, based in New Jersey. The Inn is a non-profit residence for 59 seriously ill children and families who participate in groundbreaking medical therapies at the NIH. Mars, Incorporated, which is sponsoring Vi, has a long-standing history of research into understanding the human-animal bond and the care and nutrition of cats and dogs at the Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition in the UK. Recently, Mars began collaborative research with the The Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development on the role that pets play in human health. Along with its sister divisions: Banfield Veterinary Hospitals, Nutro Products, Inc. and The Greenies Company, Mars has generously agreed to provide for Vi’s life-long care.

Visit Vi’s blog at http://www.inspire.com/groups/the-childrens-inn/