Patients with breast cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, can take comfort from a four-legged breast cancer survivor named Margie. The dog, a Boston terrier-French bulldog mix, survived a mastectomy that left a scar from neck to groin. Now she wears a scarf with a pink ribbon pin, the symbol of breast cancer awareness. Her story and her upbeat personality seem to lift patients' spirits, says Barbara Cowen, a volunteer coordinator who schedules the dog's visits with patients.

Margie is 1 of 45 canine volunteers at Cedars-Sinai. The program, first introduced in the rehabilitation unit in 1992, now includes the cardiology, HIV/AIDS, medical and surgical, and pediatric units. For more information, visit the Cedars-Sinai Web site's "breaking news" section at http://www.cedars-sinai.edu.