I love dogs. And if social media is any indicator, there are a lot of folks out there who love dogs as much as I do. Is there anyone out there who has not watched cute puppy videos, seen “Space Dogs” or followed someone on Instagram who shares their canine’s antics with the world?
Now, I know there are also a lot of feline owners out there as well–two of my five sisters have cats as well as a host of friends who regularly post photos on Facebook of their sweet kitties. In fact, there are probably thousands of households out there where cats and dogs share quarters with their humans. I like cats, too, and we Americans enjoy many other types of pets, such as fish, birds, reptiles, guinea pigs, and hamsters.
Still, there is just something special about a dog.
According to statistics reported by the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than 76 million pet dogs in the country, cared for in 48 million households. Two years ago, we had three in our household, but old age claimed the lives of two of them. Those of you who have had to watch their doggos cross the Rainbow Bridge know how tough it is to say “goodbye” because our dogs love us unconditionally.
As I write this, my girl, Mackenzie Quinn, is asleep near my feet, gently snoring, the occasional soft whimper and paw twitch punctuating the quiet of the early morning. I run my foot along her furry belly and she rolls over, instantly awake. It must be time to get up.
Mackenzie is one of the offspring of Golden Acres, where my good friend Anne Kane raises Golden Retrievers. Kane spends a couple of days a week at Cambrian Assisted Living, where she works as an aide, caring for residents there and helping with a host of activities.
In fact, Kane tells me that Cambrian is gearing up to celebrate the “Dog Days of Winter” February 18-25, with something special to herald “2-22-22.”
“We are planning dog-themed events throughout the week,” Kane said. “We plan to make dog biscuits, tie puppy blankets, play ‘Bingo Was His Name-O’ bingo, and have scheduled dog visits daily at 1 p.m.”
For Tuesday, Feb. 22, she said, a Box Social is planned that will include an auction and the twice-weekly Cambrian “Happy Hour” will include mock Margarita cocktails to mark National Margarita Day.
Long-time Tecumseh resident Gloria Underwood plans to get involved with the canine celebration. She has been bringing her two Goldens, Oliver and Ember, to visit Cambrian every Wednesday afternoon since last summer. Underwood said she started coming during the peak of COVID-19 to visit her brother, Bob Noe, who is a resident there.
“I couldn’t go in, so I would meet Bob out on the porch,” Underwood said. “I would bring the dogs, and we’d sit out there and visit. Residents saw us out there and started wanting to come out and play with the dogs.”
Underwood said the visits “just took off.
“Residents were flooding the porch area to see and pet the dogs,” she said. “Eventually, I became an official volunteer and now can bring the dogs to the Cambrian sunroom and residents can visit them there.”
Like most facilities, there are strict rules in place to protect residents from Covid. So, Underwood must stay in a designated area. Still, she is happy to bring Oliver and Ember for a visit.
“There are about 15 residents who come, we sit in a huge circle, and they just love on the dogs and pet them,” she said. “It’s so heart-warming. And I’ve become pretty attached to these residents as well.”
The dogs spark memories and conversations about past pets and experiences, she said.
“I am happy to do this every week,” Underwood said. “I know what comfort these dogs give me, they keep me going. I knew this would be something good for them. You can be having a bad day and petting a dog, all of a sudden, life is okay again.”
SQUIBS 