Pet Therapy Stories by Judy Gooding

Posted by TeamCharlie on January 25, 2009 under Wags for Hope | Be the First to Comment

This morning I have a guest blogger named Judy Gooding.  She is a member of Wags for Hope under the name of “Team Eva”.  Sadly, Eva passed away last year but her memory lives on in all those that met her, especially the residents of the nursing homes that were graced by her presence.  She sent me several stories, so I will run a series of blogs written by her because the stories are very powerful.  They are not only a tribute to Eva, but they are also an inspiration to others.  Judy writes:

When Eva started visiting at the retirement center, she was about a year old, still very young for a large breed like a Doberman, and still very energetic and rambunctious.  But, I had worked with her in obedience and had had her around my parents, who are in their eighties, so I was confident that she would do well.  I wasn’t prepared, though, for the instinct that she had for this kind of therapy work.  On one of her first visits, we were taken to the assisted living apartment of Mrs. D, a diminutive woman in her nineties whose weight was comparable to Eva’s.  She was standing by the windows on the other side of the small living room when we came in.  She didn’t have her walker with her but took a few careful steps without it to meet us in the middle of the room.  Eva went to her, took a position standing in front of her as though she had been trained specifically for this very event, and, for the next several minutes, this lively pup was perfectly still and calm.  Mrs. D used one hand on Eva’s back to steady herself and scratched and stroked her ears with the other while telling her what a beautiful girl she was.  I was speechless with pride but could take no credit.  I discovered that day that my dear Eva had a special gift that she was willing to share, joyously and wholeheartedly.

We first met Mrs. S when she was a resident in the assisted living section of the retirement center.  She loved dogs and was always excited to see Eva when we came to visit.  As the years progressed, Mrs. S’s health declined, and, when we came to her apartment and, eventually, her room in the nursing section, she was invariably lying down.  I would knock and ask if she wanted a visitor, and she would wearily answer not today, I don’t feel well, until she realized that the visitor was Eva.  What a transformation!  She would slowly sit up with a huge smile on her face and make Eva very happy with hugs and words of endearment and praise.  When we left, Mrs. S would tell us that we had made her day.  What a small thing to do to make such a difference.