It’s Charlie’s Birthday!

Posted by TeamCharlie on March 4, 2009 under Wags for Hope | Read the First Comment

Ok, call me nuts but this post is about one of our dogs. His name is Charlie and he turns 5 years old today.  As we speak my wife is out buying him a present or two.  She’ll throw in some doggie ice cream for both he and Lily to celebrate with this evening.  From what I gather many if not most people treat their dogs this way, as part of the family.  We are no exception.

In February of 2004, my wife Michelle happened to take MaryMargaret to a local dog event. It was the Potomac Valley Bernese Mountain Dog show. She was so impressed with these animals she called me right away and insisted I come down. I arrived shortly thereafter to witness a sea of gorgeous dogs just relaxing and all getting along.  This made quite an impression on us.  Sadly and coincidentally our family dog Nikki passed away very shortly thereafter.  Nikki had lived for 16 years with my wife and naturally she was devastated.  However she really wanted another dog right away, so in May Charlie arrived.

I had known Nikki for about ten years and all I know is that dog hated me.  She would ignore everything I said unless I had a “snausage” in my hand. The only other dog I had lived with was Heidi the St. Bernard when I was about ten years old.  So Charlie in fact was the first dog I ever really felt connected to as an adult.  I became deeply attached to him early on, so when he was just four months old I started taking him to a nursing home. I wanted to share him and show him off, so what better place to do it than a place that will always provide a captive audience?  We continued this practice for about two years until the nursing home turned us away on several occasions.  Sometimes when there is an airborne virus they have to close down all the wings. I was curious to see how he would do in a different place so I took him next door to the assisted living facility.  They immediately fell in love with him.  “When are you coming back?” they asked me. Charlie was such a natural at doing this.  He just sat there in the middle of a collection of walkers and wheelchairs and looked up at me as if to say, “Don’t worry, I’ll handle this!”  It was that very second I realized there was a huge thirst for this activity in Frederick County. 

That was the very day that Wags for Hope started.  I don’t know how many non-profit organizations have been founded by dogs, but Wags is one of them.  If it weren’t for Charlie, Wags for Hope would never have been formed. We now have over 120 teams in four counties visiting over 25 facilities.  We also visit schools and libraries under the R.E.A.D.® program which uses therapy dogs to improve literacy skills in our children.  We are about to make our first official visit to Frederick Memorial Hospital, which for the first time is allowing therapy dogs inside.  This is all thanks to Charlie.

So the next time you see Charlie walking downtown Frederick, or out and about on a speaking engagement (as he is often asked to do) please tip your hat to him. He is one special dog. (Happy birthday, Charlie!)