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About Pet Hug Fund™ |
Rumble and Janet
This was our very first therapy visit at this facility. Lots of excitement! The staff was new to the concept of pet therapy, excited and anxious to get started. The therapy dog teams met with the physical therapist and recreational therapist, so they could give us a brief summary of the eight individuals we were going to be working with that day. And then it was time to start.
 Rumble |
Lo and behold my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Rumble, had it in her mind where she wanted to start and I followed her lead. She went straight to Marie, walking by several other patients all inviting her to visit. She looked at her and when invited to do so, placed her head in Marie’s lap. And then the tears came, Marie cried and cried. I felt surprised, sad and worried all at the same time. This was not the normal reaction our dogs had on people. I looked to the therapist whose eyes were tearing up as well. My Chessie stayed with Marie until the tears stopped. She loved on my dog for quite a while as if remembering.
The therapist later told me that Marie’s dog had died in the car accident that had brought Marie to the hospital and rehabilitation. That in two months of rehab she had never cried for her dog who had passed away. And that those tears she shed as she petted my dog were the tears of grief and of healing. How did my dog know Marie needed her? That’s part of the magic of pet therapy.
C.H.A.M.P., Inc., Therapy Dog Program, Florissant, MO