

	Featured Story		Dog of the Day

Rayito

Please Note: The dog in the accompanying photograph is the subject of the story, but the person pictured is probably not the patient in the story.

Rayito came to our family from a dog rescue when he was already full grown. We fell in love with him from his photo and description. He sounded like the perfect companion for our other dog who needed a buddy. When we went to meet Rayito for the first time, we expected to find the dog in the picture. Well, we did … but while he looked medium sized in the photo, he was in fact a beautiful 130 lb German Sheppard / Malamute mix. We were shocked because, quite frankly, he’s huuuuge! While his size can be intimidating to some, in just a moment most people find that he is a giant teddy-bear of a dog. His soft fur and kind eyes invite the hands-on experience that usually leads to lots of hugs --- a great paycheck for a therapy dog.

Rayito has volunteered at a variety of hospitals, care facilities, and schools and has met people from all walks of life. He has given many seriously ill or handicapped people the chance to momentarily forget the multitude of problems they and their loved ones face.

One child that we regularly visit is permanently breathing with the help of a respirator and can only move about three feet in any direction from her bed. Her verbal communication is limited, but that never stops her from letting us know exactly what she is thinking about. We have learned that two fingers pinched in the air means she wants to feed Rayito dog treats. When her little index finger is wiggling up and down above her head, she wants her picture taken, so she’ll have the keepsake Polaroid that we leave with the patients after a visit.

One of the most moving and inspirational moments Rayito and I have experienced involved a little girl who was visibly disfigured and hesitant to approach Rayito. Her mother whispered to me privately that her daughter was recovering from being attacked by four neighborhood dogs. With her mother’s encouragement, she slowly approached Rayito, who was stretched out on the hospital room floor, relaxed and lying on his side. The little girl took small purposeful steps, reached out, and began to pet him. His tender sprit and calm presence provided the much needed opportunity for this child to do some healing on the inside.

As the human half of this volunteer team, I consider myself lucky to be the one who stands by Rayito’s side when he is working his magic.