The word mitzvah means "good deed," and Sacramento resident Meredith Bluth celebrated her Bat Mitzvah last month with a very good deed indeed: she invited her friends and family to donate to the UC Davis Facility Dog program.
Meredith Bluth with her own dogs Sunny and Olive
Bluth had wanted to give back to a charity to mark her 12th birthday and the Jewish coming-of-age ritual – and found the UC Davis Children's Hospital Facility Dog program fund.
"Meredith loves dogs and helping kids, so the donation request was a natural fit," said Alexa Bluth, Meredith's mother.
Meredith received presents as part of her virtual celebration, and many people also donated to help the facility dogs. So far, Meredith has helped raise $1,427. Gifts have come from Southern California, Arizona, Massachusetts and New Jersey.
Zeebee is one of the facility dogs at UC Davis Children's Hospital. This photo was taken pre-pandemic.
Donations to the UC Davis Facility Dog program help to support the care of Huggie, Paloma, Zeebee and Danny that have been provided free of charge to UC Davis Children's Hospital from Canine Companions for Independence. Facility dogs are specially trained canines that enhance the health care environment for young patients. They help children through challenging treatments and provide comfort and support. Donations help pay for the dogs' medical care, food, grooming, supplements, supplies and toys to keep the dogs healthy, happy and ready to support kids in need.
"We are so grateful to Meredith for giving back to our facility dog program," said Tony Hazarian, executive director of development at UC Davis Medical Center. "By supporting our dogs, she is also supporting our kids who rely on our dogs for support during their hospitalization."
