The Healing Power of a Pet's Love and Loyalty

My father had a stroke some time ago and wasn't expected to make it. But he fooled everyone and had what I call a miraculous recovery.

My father gave thanks to his family, but made sure he pointed out the tireless devotion from his poodle, Beboys. (Don't ask me where he got the name; nobody knows.)

The dog stayed by my father's side, day and night, until my father could walk out of his room. That episode convinced me of the healing nature of a canine's love. The simple act of petting a dog is soothing enough to lower high blood pressure is the popular wisdom these days. I can't argue with that.

I was reminded of the tireless devotion of my own father's dog, when I encountered the volunteer work of a lady at The Bridges in Riverview, and her two pups. Jeannine Torres is a retired receptionist from Manhattan. She regularly visits and volunteers at the assisted living facility on Bloomingdale Avenue.

She has two dogs -- a 4-year-old daschund-poodle mix named Daisy and an 11-month-old shih tsu-poodle mix named Sophie. The pair seem to relish the time they spend visiting the residents at The Bridges and providing "Pet Therapy,"  as written on the small dry-erase board in the front lobby.

Jeannine uses the dogs as ice-breakers to start conversations with the residents, and they are very successful tools. Everyone I saw stopped to pet the little guys and give them tummy rubs, much to the dogs' and residents' delight. It's funny how well the dogs know their way around as they lead Jeannine from room to room.

She doesn't charge anything for her visits and is well liked by all. She has gone down to Hawthorne Village, The Alifia Nursing Home and a few more nursing homes in the area but has yet to receive a call back. They don't know what they are missing, since I saw everyone's eyes light up when the dogs entered the room.

The power of unconditional love seems so effective at improving the quality of life for both the old and young. Looking into the eyes of a beloved pet, we see our own humanity. The love and complete trust of a dog grants people a level of acceptance that they often do not get from their two-legged friends, neighbors and associates. People are so busy teaching dogs to behave and get along in our world, that we sometimes miss the silent lessons they offer to humans.

Jeannine wants to get her pair trained as service dogs and is doing research on the matter now. She is a Type I diabetic and wants to them to serve as diabetic dogs. I have never heard of a service dog being trained for this particular need, but Jeannine assures me that the New Barker Magazine has printed articles on the subject, and it's just a matter of a very short time for dogs to fill another critical social need in our society.