For almost two years my dog Rowdy and I have been visiting children at a psychiatric hospital. We are registered with the Delta Society. It never fails to amaze me how wonderful she is with a kiss and tail wag for everyone. Total unconditional acceptance and love which is something many of these kids don't often experience. When we arrive on the unit the yell goes up -- "Rowdy's here" and she is hugged by six children at once! In May, 1999, we were honored as Special Volunteers of the Year. It was a wonderful event, a banquet attended by three hundred people and one dog. It was like she attended these functions everyday! She did her usual job of amazing me!
What makes Rowdy even more special to me is that she is a rescue dog. She was
found wandering the street at eight weeks old. She is a pit bull and I was appalled at my husband's suggestion to keep her. After a few days I took her to my vet for his opinion and decided against my better judgement to keep her. We got enrolled in an obedience course and the rest is as they say -- history. We are now working on her
second level obedience title -- CDX (Companion Dog Excellent). |
