He doesn’t bring pills to swallow or scary-looking syringes when he walks into a patient’s room.

Instead he brings unconditional love, a fur coat perfect for petting and, often, a desire to have his belly scratched.

Tedwin is a corgi who is a therapy dog owned by Toni Deal, of Coalville.

He is relatively new to the role of therapy dog, but he has been a big hit so far, according to Deal.

-Submitted photo
Toni Deal and her corgi, Tedwin, pose together. Tedwin works as a therapy dog for Unity Point Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center, UnityPoint Hospice, Van Diest Medical Center and Humboldt Memorial Community Hospital.

“I’ve never seen a little dog have such an impact on people,” she said.

She said when patients play with Tedwin, pet him or just snuggle with him, they can forget about their problems for awhile.

Healing, she said, is an emotional process as well as a physical one. Tedwin, she said, is there to help with the emotional side of the process.

“Tedwin loves patients,” she said.

He is one of four therapy dogs at UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center.

He is also a regular presence in the UnityPoint Hospice program, Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City and Humboldt Memorial Community Hospital in Humboldt.

Plus, he is a member of the American Red Cross Belly Scratch Battalion, which is the four-legged staff of the Service to Armed Forces Animal Visitation Program. In that capacity, he recently deployed to Camp Dodge in Johnston and to Sioux City after two Iowa Army National Guard soldiers were killed in the Middle East.

Tedwin’s path to becoming a therapy dog started when he completed a Canine Good Citizen class through the Fort Dodge Kennel Club. During that class someone suggested that he was a good candidate to become a therapy dog.

According to Deal, to be considered for therapy work dogs must be very obedient, have a calm nature and be able to love everybody.

In August 2025, Deal and Tedwin began training with Linda Whaley, a retired nurse who started the therapy dog program at UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center.

“She’s a really good instructor for the therapy dog program,” Deal said.

Among other things, Tedwin had to learn how to work around medical equipment that beeps and makes other noises. And he had to learn how to quickly regain his composure after being startled by things such as a crutch hitting the floor or someone running by him on their way to an emergency.

He passed all of his training classes and was certified in November 2025.

He made his first visit to UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center on Nov. 24, 2025.

Since then, Tedwin has visited 1,604 patients, according to Deal. But the number of patient visits isn’t the important thing, she said. What’s really important is the effect those visits have on patients, she said

“It’s not the number, it’s the smiles on their faces the minute they see a dog walk into the room,” Deal said.

“I love seeing the look on the patients’ faces,” she added. “I love that Tedwin and I made an impact on them that day. I never in my life thought a dog would make such an impact.”

Deal plans on continuing therapy dog work. She has started her own organization, Fur Real K-9 Pet Therapy.

She encourages other dog owners with pets who may be suitable for therapy work to consider getting involved.

“These therapy dogs make an impact,” she said. “I’ve seen it firsthand.”