Therapy dog named after MLB player brings support, smiles to community
A therapy dog is providing support and an extra reason to smile by sharing a name with a Baltimore Orioles superstar.
Gunnar is a 2-year-old golden doodle named after Orioles star shortstop Gunnar Henderson. The dog's owner, Michelle Brusio, is a clinical manager of Population Health, Care Transformation Organization and Primary Care at the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health. She chose Gunnar's name with pride.
"I was looking for a cool name for him because you hear Adley (Rutschman). His brother's name is actually Camden, so you hear all of the cool names for Baltimore legends, and I just thought, 'Gunnar Henderson it is,'" Brusio told sister station WBAL.
Brusio's Gunnar is still learning to play catch, but it's his personality that makes him a star.
"I love his personality," Brusio told WBAL. "He's calm, and he's sweet, for the most part. He's playful."
So, Brusio signed Gunnar up for , which provides pet therapy in the community. The nonprofit organization started with training in January 2024. Now, it visits Girl Scouts to help them learn about pet therapy. There's also , where children can read with Gunnar. And, there are events where people can de-stress and pet Gunnar. His name is always a hit.
"It opens up conversations," Brusio told WBAL. "A lot of people don't want to open up; they have tragic events or they are there for a de-stress event and having a hard day. It just allows us to open up the conversation and say, 'Hey, this is Gunnar Henderson. He is the shortstop for the Orioles.' We talk about baseball, football, sports, anything people want to talk about."
It turns out that Gunnar the therapy dog has about as many fans as his namesake, as he gives people support and a reason to smile.
"The one thing about pet therapy is it's great for the dog and it's great for us," Brusio told WBAL. "It helps to lower blood pressure. It helps with loneliness, depression, isolation and it also encourages kids to read."
The Orioles invited Brusio and Gunnar to a game on April 13, so Gunnar can get to join the Henderson at the ballpark.