Service With A Tail Wag

This week, while in the hospital, I was visited by a super hero. Not a fake one, dressed in a nearly perfect costume. My hero was a calm, unassuming service dog named Gordon.

Gordon is a five-year-old Cairn Terrier. He has been a certified therapy dog for nearly three years. He visits hospitals every week and has made more than 250 hospital visits. In the past year alone he has visited with more than 1,200 patients at St. Joseph Hospital.

The amazing thing about Gordon, is that he has no ego about his 1,200 patient visits. The encounter was not about him, but about me. He hopped up on my bed and started licking my hand, just the way my Jazzy does at home. He snuggled, just the way my Major does at home, and then he draped his chin across my arm, the way my Satchmo does. How did he know? I have no idea, but he seemed to sense my needs and went about filling them in a way that brought me comfort.

Gordon was the first service dog to visit me in the hospital. I hope that he is not the last. People want to know details of your condition. A service dog wants to know the details of your heart. They don’t care that you have been through surgery, or that you have a physical handicap. They just shower you with love in the way you need to be loved.

Thank you Gordon for visiting me in the hospital. Your encouragement made the pain a little more bearable. You made me want to see if one of my dogs would qualify for the service industry.