Stories

I had always had a dream to train and have a therapy dog to volunteer with, so finding Max was a dream come true!

Cookie and Moo were adopted from the New Jersey Guinea Pig Rescue in July 2020. Elizabeth jokes, “Most of the world got a pandemic puppy—we got four guinea pigs!” Two of the guinea pigs proved to be too shy for therapy work, but Cookie and Moo showed their aptitude early on. Cookie was always happy to sniff a hand or take a treat. Moo was very calm and loved being brushed, which was helpful since his hair is over 8 inches long.

During this long COVID period, we continued to work on her skills and keep up on everything she needed to respond to during her reevaluation. She loved to work on her skills and keep them fresh in her mind. She continued to respond with her skills until just a few days before she passed away.

The impact that Ella has had was brought home to me clearly when one of the inmates we visited said, as he was petting her, “I haven’t petted a dog in 23 years.” I later learned that he had been very withdrawn, but every time Ella and the other dogs came to visit, he always asked to be included.

Puntino always knew what to do when sitting on a veteran’s lap or lying in bed with them. He brought joy, comfort, and lots of smiles. Often, the veteran just needed a furry friend to hug.

We brought miles of smiles to everyone we met. I love when people say, “I’ve never seen a real rabbit before” and that we can show them one up close and personal. When people would pet her, it was almost always, “Oh my, she is soooo soft.”

For almost 10 years and 1,000 hours, Dodger and I visited patients of all ages. She was a magnet for eyes and smiles as we walked the hospital halls. People asked to pet her. Kids hugged her, some not wanting to let go. A little boy asked her to kiss. Some patients cried because she brought back memories of their dogs.

Allie loved her job as a therapy dog. I called it “pet the people.” When I was getting ready to go on a visiting day, I would say we were going to pet the people, and she became so excited and eager to go.

Over the last 8 1/2 years, we have volunteered locally at St. David’s Hospital Georgetown, as well as many assisted living/nursing homes, the Georgetown school district with Read With Me, and a local behavioral hospital that treats people with substance use disorders and mental health issues, as well as military veterans with PTSD.