A Tribute to Our Sweet Bo

Hello, my name is Denise Sebastianelli, and my husband is Frank. We recently had to say goodbye to our sweet Bo. Of course, we are heartbroken, but Bo was too special of a dog to dwell on the sadness. Instead, we want to celebrate Bo and his special way of making everyone he met—especially Frank and me—a little bit happier, one smile at a time. Our sweet Bo forever changed our lives. He made every day better for us and so many others.

When we went to pick out a new puppy after losing our very special dog, Blaidden, we never could have imagined the 9½-year journey we were about to begin. We knew we wanted to do therapy dog work, and Bo made that dream come true—and then some. We decided on a Flat-Coated Retriever for their fun, sweet, and gentle personality. When we visited a litter in Medina, Ohio, we learned there were two puppies left: one was outgoing and confident, and the other was quiet and shy, often left in the corner sleeping. We played with the outgoing pup, but Frank asked—no, Frank demanded—to see the other puppy. They reluctantly brought him over and said, “You really don’t want this one. He’s too shy and aloof.” Well, this “shy, quiet, not-so-great” pup crawled into Frank’s arms, put his head on his shoulder, snuggled in, and never left.

We took him home right then and named him Blaidden’s Rainbow, or “Bo,” and he was a pure miracle. He was smart, funny, and happy, but we also noticed there was something different about him. We soon realized that Bo was completely deaf. We were a little worried at first: How would we train him? Could he still be a therapy dog? But we quickly discovered that Bo could hear better with his heart than any other dog could with their ears. He went on to prove how special he was. Bo was the star of puppy kindergarten and every obedience class. We owe a very special thank you to Karen Spradlin, a longtime member of Pet Partners, who taught one of his first classes. She immediately recognized how special Bo was and encouraged us to make our dream a reality by becoming a therapy dog team. Karen became our biggest cheerleader, mentor, and friend. It was because of her belief in us that we had the confidence to take—and pass—our first test. Thank you, Karen, for believing in us and loving our sweet Bo.

Although Bo became an official Pet Partners therapy dog at the age of two, he had been a therapy dog since the day we brought him home at 8 weeks old. He had a magical way of bringing joy to my mom during her battle with Alzheimer’s. We will forever be grateful for what Bo did for her. I know he’s with her now, sharing ice cream bars and Cheerios. Thank you, Bo, for making my mom smile when no one else could. We knew then that Bo was too special not to share with the world.

Frank and Bo had a bond that will never be broken. They became inseparable at home and at work. Since 2017, Frank and Bo traveled over 10,000 miles, spending over 550 hours at nearly 400 therapy visits. They impacted over 26,000 people during those visits, improving lives one smile at a time. Their favorite visits were with special needs children. Bo connected with these kids in such a special way, always knowing just what they needed—whether it was a soft hug, a shared walk, a paw to hold, or even a loud bark to make them laugh. He heard them with his heart. Everyone who met Frank and Bo at an event got a “Therapy Dog Bo” trading card, and over the last 7½ years, Frank handed out over 15,000 cards. Bo’s cards can be found in school lockers, nurses’ stations, and work computers all over the greater Cincinnati area, and we hope they continue to improve lives for years to come.

With all his therapy dog magic, Bo was at his best at home with us. He was sweet, funny, smart, and loyal. He loved his treats, his toys, his crate, and bedtime. He loved to crawl under our legs and howl like a wolf. He was our heart and soul. He brought us joy and laughter every day. He opened up a whole new world to us with Pet Partners and brought us new friends and experiences that we will forever cherish. He also loved his little brothers, Enzo and Leo, teaching Enzo so much. While we wish he could have spent more time with Leo, his brothers will carry on his therapy work for years to come. Bo was our Blaidden’s Rainbow, our sweet Bo. He will be with us forever in our hearts and memories.

Thank you, Bo, from the bottom of our hearts for all you did for us and everyone you met.