From time to time, I have the great privilege of shadowing one of our Bright Spot Therapy Dog Teams as they do their visiting. Today I met up with The Boys (as they’re called), Niles and Caber, with their owner Kevin Russell as they were entering the home of a hospice patient they have now been visiting every-other-week for over a year.
Charlotte is preparing to celebrate her 96th birthday in February. She told me how much she loves the visits from the dogs. I love everything about them, she said with a smile as she invited them both to join her up on her bed. Charlotte’s oldest daughter, Christina, lives in the house with her mother watching over her. She relies on the relief from Hospice aides that provide breaks for her to do her shopping and other errands. She doesn’t leave when Kevin and The Boys are visiting, however. She enjoys their visit as much as her mother does.
Niles and Caber are an exceptional pair of Golden Retrievers. They are immensely docile. The size of small bears, they love to cuddle and be cuddled, which Charlotte joyfully does. In addition, Charlotte says that she really likes Kevin, too. He’s fun to talk with, she laughed. After Kevin and his wife, Fiona, returned from a trip to France, he brought along his laptop and played a slideshow of France for Charlotte and Christina while The Boys made themselves at home in repose on the rug. Kevin tells me that visits may last as long as two hours, depending on how Charlotte is feeling. During this time, mother and daughter get to laugh, and smile, and be comforted by these amazing certified Therapy Dogs.
Thank you Cynthia for a very lovely article and offering me a wonderful link I have had a lot of fun sharing with so many friends and family around the world. I am so proud of all that the Bright Spot teams do and this a lovely personal example – thank you.
Fiona – Thank you for sharing Say Hello Spot with folks around the world. I love sharing the magic of the human-canine bond.