Loki, The Unlikely Hero of Baltimore Delivering Care Packages Amidst The Pandemic Lockdown

Dogs have been known to be of immense help to mankind for centuries. Their stories of heroic deeds are just too many to even account for. While the world is locked away behind the security of their home, doctors, and healthcare professionals are struggling worldwide to win this epic battle against CoronaVirus.

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Dogtor Loki, the therapy dog posing with the healthcare workers.  Credits: @dogtor.loki/Instagram 

Loki, the 2 yrs old Rottweiler is not one of those scary dogs that you imagine. A therapy dog for over a yr, Loki is a regular visitor at the University of Maryland medical center in Baltimore. He has been training as a therapy dog since Loki was merely 16 weeks old. A very loving and calm dog, Patients have been known to wait eagerly for Loki to visit them.

However, with the global threat of the Corona Virus and the lockdown implementation, Loki had to stop visiting his friends at the medical center. A second-year medical student and Loki’s mom/owner Caroline Benzel decided to try something different to help the patients in therapy while abiding by the laws of social distancing. 

She organized a remote therapy session with Loki sitting outside the patio. Patients could easily imagine themselves sitting outside listening to birds while petting Loki. You can watch out for Loki in action as he works happily amidst the healthcare personnel here

It was during this video session Caroline realized how much the continuous usage of masks and other protective gear was affecting the healthcare workers. That’s when she came up with the innovative idea of “Hero Healing Kit”

Each kit contained medicated lotions and powders for skin irritation, chewing gums for dry mouth, chapsticks, and vaseline for drying skin and lips and packets of coffee and tea. On the packaging, there is a cute like picture of Loki in his usual goofball look.

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Health care workers are thanking Loki for sending them ‘Hero Healing Kit’. Credits: @dogtor.loki/Instagram 

So far Caroline with the help of other medical students has been able to prepare 1,400 of these kits for the healthcare workers. She is hopeful that in a few day’s time she will be able to prepare at least a few thousand more if she gets enough support from people worldwide. 

The world surely needs a few more unlikely heroes like Loki and his mom Caroline Benzel.