Doggone Love

Tails wagging and ears flopping, therapy dogs greet guests with genuine smiles. See how Annie, a volunteer therapy dog, comforted a guest when she needed it most.

“There once was a guest that came in from outside and Annie, my black and white Australian Shepherd mix, watched her intently when she asked how long we would be there. I told her an hour and she said she needed to go to her room, but she would be back. Annie watched her until she was out of sight.

She came back after a short time…and Annie saw her coming. Annie went to her and we found a spot where she could have some one on one time with her. The three of us settled on the floor and she was just stroking Annie’s head, not saying a word. About 10 minutes passed and I noticed she had tears in her eyes…spilling over and running down her face. Annie moved closer to her. It was beautiful to watch…and a loving picture of why we do what we do!

The woman opened up…as if she was speaking only to Annie.

She was staying at the Family House because her father had had open heart surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital. Then the tears started streaming down her face. That poor lady had been holding a huge burden inside and it all came pouring out! I did not question her about it, but she shared that her boyfriend had come down to Winston on Monday and took her out to dinner. Tuesday he died suddenly from a massive heart attack. She was heartbroken needless to say.

I encouraged her to speak with someone there…to see if there was a Chaplain or anyone she could share this with. She told me that she saw on the calendar that we were coming…and had been watching for us.

THAT is the very reason we do what we do!!

I have seen it happen time and time again with all of the dogs. Our passion/mission is to share love and comfort with people through the dogs and ourselves. You never know what burdens people are carrying inside, but somehow spending time with the dogs opens up an avenue for release. The end results are smiles, hugs, and a look of joy on their faces.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us the blessing of bringing just a little of that to your guests. Some visits it is more evident than others, but we know that it happens every time!”

— Tamara Macy & Annie