

	Featured Story		Dog of the Day

Joe

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.

This story is about Joe, our 4 year-old Australian Shepherd. It was clear from the moment we saw him as a 5 week old puppy that he was special. He was always the first pup in his litter to wake up and the last to go to sleep. He liked to entice his brothers and sister into chasing him around the legs of chairs. He was the fastest and most coordinated of all the pups. With his piercing blue eyes and friendly grin (Yes, he smiled, even at that age.), he chose us.

This little bundle of energy has brought joy to our household beyond description. His personality requires constant interaction. He needs lots of exercise and has a strong desire to have a job. He happily gathers clothes and takes them to the laundry room, and he recycles plastic bottles to the blue bin. He is an accomplished agility dog with many tricks up his paws. His most important job, however, is his work as a therapy dog. He was certified by Love on 4 Paws at the tender age of 1½. We were surprised that he passed because he was still loaded with puppy energy. Somehow he seemed to know that this “test” was important, and ever since that day, he has risen to the occasion. He has evolved into a wonderful therapy dog; he truly understands the task at hand. He knows the routine: eat, run, bath, blow dry, and, once his vest is on, he can hardly wait to get in the car and go.

There have been many memorable visits over the past couple of years. At St. Johns we visited a lady in her nineties who was quite frail but whose face lit up when she saw Joe. He laid on her bed, and as she sat stroking him, she talked about how dogs had played a very important role in her life. She spoke of their loyalty and companionship and how much respect she had for the herding dogs who worked on the ranch where she lived. When we left, she said that our visit had made this the best day she’d had in a very long time.

What an honor to be able to provide a service that brings a little sunshine into someone’s life. Joe and I are grateful to be part of Love on 4 Paws.