Meet Baxter!

Mom picked this book up from the library yesterday and it's already making her cry. She's going to read it to me but I don't think I will cry. At least, I hope not.

Isn't Baxter cute? He's a therapy dog that visits hospice patients and this book is about his adventures in that role. He's also a rescue dog and the book talks about how he got into the therapy business and how he got certified through Therapy Dogs International. Mom grabbed this book as soon as she saw it because it reminded her of the days when I was a therapy dog.

Baxter become a therapy dog when he was 14 years old. I became one before I was a year old. I didn't visit hospice patients but visited residents in a nursing/ rehabilitation facility. Some of the residents were only in the facility for a short time but some of them lived there for a long time.

I was part of therapy group that visited the same facility every month. Our group consisted of a Great Pyrenees, two Yorkies, a Beagle, a Cairn Terrier, two Old English Sheepdogs, and a Cocker Spaniel. There were lots of residents that were afraid of the bigger dogs, but no one was ever afraid of me. Whether I was walking down the hallways, sitting on a lap, visiting residents in the tv room, or laying on a bed, I loved every moment of my therapy work.

There was one resident in particular that I remember quite well. His name was Steven and he was 20 years old. He was in the military and was the designated driver of a car that was hit by a drunk driver. Steven was paralyzed and could only blink his eyes when I first met him, but he made lots of progress and was soon sitting up in bed moving his fingers. He couldn't speak but eventually could use a computer via a special device.

Steven's accident caused such problems for his family that his parents ended up getting divorced. His mother was at the facility every day taking care of him. She was completely dedicated to him and his care. She was an amazing woman.

I visited Steven every time I was at the facility. The nurses would always tell me that Steven was waiting for me and I would walk into his room and Mom would put me on his bed. Even when Steven couldn't pet me I would just sit on his bed and visit with him. I think I made him feel good just by being there.

Steve had progressed to the point where the facility had done all they could for him, so he was going to be moved to another facility far away. The last night I visited him Mom put me on his bed as usual. By this time, Steven could move his fingers and pet me. He pet and pet me as Mom talked to him and told him that she was going to miss him. When it was time to leave Steven's room he wouldn't let me go. He kept shaking his head and holding on to me because he didn't want me to leave. Mom had tears in her eyes because she felt Steven's pain. He was so comforted by me and he didn't know what the future held for him.

Steven finally let me go and we said our last goodbyes as we walked out of his room. Mom was crying by then and I was walking just a little slower than usual. Steven needed us and we would never see him again. I think about Steven a lot and I hope that he is doing okay.

Mom doesn't have any pictures of me doing therapy work, but this book is full of pictures Baxter visiting his patients. Pictures that tell the story of an extraordinary therapy dog and the joy he brought into the lives of those he touched. His story is told in a collection of moments, 36 of them in all. I love how each chapter is a moment because that's how life is measured, in moments.

I can't wait to hear Baxter's story because I know I will love it. I can't promise that I won't cry as Mom reads his story to me. I know that Mom will cry because she knows just how important therapy dogs are to patients in need. I know how important dogs are to everyone they meet because I have touched many lives. I'm just a pug that loves people and loves to be loved in return.