

	Featured Story		Dog of the Day

Spunky

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.

Spunky is the sweetest dog I have ever met. The moment I brought her home from the pet store, I noticed how attracted she is to all people. She is blessed with a natural ability to make people smile, because of her larger-than-life personality. Our walks are always twice as long as they should be because Spunky has to stop to say hello to everyone and then roll over to get a belly rub.

A few months after Spunky and I moved here, I learned about Love On 4 Paws from someone Spunky greeted on one of our walks. I immediately realized that volunteering for LO4P would be a great opportunity for Spunky and I to work together to bring a valuable service to others. My next concern was getting my overly energetic Cairn Terrier to pass the exam, but Spunky passed without a problem, even after being stung by a bee on the way in! That’s how I knew it was meant to be.

When visiting patients, Spunky has a keen sense of what’s going on in the room. She seems to modify her behavior to fit the situation, which is why she gets a different reaction from each patient. It’s amazing to see her bring out a smile or a few words from a patient who doesn’t normally show his emotions. Sometimes she sits with a parent who just needs a hug, or she comforts those who are missing their own animals. When she gets really comfortable, she’ll start making a place for herself on a patient’s bed by picking up the sheets in her mouth and moving them around. One of my favorite moments was when a nurse brought out clips for Spunky’s hair and made her look very fancy. Needless to say, her hair didn’t stay that way very long.

The pictures given to the patients say it all. I’ve heard people say, “Thank you for the visit. That made my day.” It makes me very proud to hear someone say that, and honestly, it makes Spunky’s day too. I can tell by the way she sleeps all the way home, content with having made a bunch of new friends.