Her long, brown ears almost scraping the ground, a sweet-faced basset strolls through the revolving front door like she owns the place. The minute she enters the Children's Hospital lobby, trailed by her owner Beth Fuller, Abby begins looking eagerly around, tugging lightly at her leash. She knows why she's here: It's time to be petted and loved; it's time to give love and to touch the hearts of others.

above, left: Hand-in-Paw volunteer Beth Fuller and her basset, Abby, visit with Children's Hospital patients, including Donovan Bell (center); above, right: A bona fide clothes hound, Abby dons her finery to brighten the children's day.

For the next hour Beth and Abby, joined by Mariela Piola and her cocker spaniel, Polo, are here to interact with patients undergoing treatment at the Birmingham facility. They sit on the floor as children and parents stop by to chat and stroke the willing dogs. One young girl, recovering from back surgery, gingerly kneels beside Abby. "I love dogs," she murmurs to Beth as she softly pets the basset and smiles serenely. For her, as for the others here, these minutes afford a precious break from the monotony of a hospital stay, lifting spirits and easing pain.

Beth and Mariela lend their time--and their dogs--as part of Alabama's Hand-in-Paw, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides teams of handlers and pets to serve as therapeutic tools in a variety of health care and social service settings. Some teams work with at-risk youth, trying to penetrate walls of anger; others assist in activities that help children achieve specific therapy goals; still others make regular hospital visits.

"Abby's got the perfect personality for this," says Beth as she rubs her dog's head. "It's hard to tell who gets more out of it--us or the patients we're here to help."