Maggie's Story
by Stephanie Sanders-Badt
 

     Jenner, the second of our beloved golden retrievers, was big, red, and beautiful and the first dog officially allowed to visit patients at our local hospital. Her sister Rain died prematurely and Jenner was inconsolable, so at the age of 8 she became a certified Therapy Dog, and spent the next seven years fully enjoying her role, visiting area hospitals every week. We were devastated to lose her to cancer at 15 and one-half years of age―a long life filled with the delicious love exchanged between a great dog and her people. We knew the next dog had big paws to fill…
     It did not take us long to decide to offer a truly loving home to a dog in need and contacted Nor Cal Golden Retriever Rescue. The woman with whom we registered spent almost two hours on the phone completing her screening process. Needless to say we were so excited, the very next day to receive a call telling us “I found your new dog!” and immediately made plans to visit Maggie.
     My partner Susan and I were filled with joyous anticipation the entire car ride to Concord. Maggie was a 19-month-old show dog―her life spent in an immaculately kept kennel with two other dogs, in the show ring, or in a crate going to and from dog shows. It was love at first sight for the three of us. She was platinum blond, with gorgeous confirmation and a long, flowing coat, pitch-black “eyeliner” around her eyes, a coal-black nose, and the singly most expressive face I have ever seen.
     Our vet was not surprised that we waited barely a month, but was hesitant when he suggested that Maggie would not adapt well to living indoors, might have difficulty housetraining, and likely would only bond with us and be stand-offish to others. I must add at this juncture, he is our former vet…
     Maggie was housetrained in a matter of days―she was, however, startled by all the usual noises of a household―the dishwasher, the garbage disposer, the telephone, and the doorbell. She did not even bark for the first five months with us, and when she found her voice it even surprised her!
     Her life with us immediately included going to work with me. I managed an assisted living community and thought it would be a great opportunity for her to become more socialized to people. Maggie took to her job with unparalleled enthusiasm. She visited older adults in the privacy of their apartments as well as granting audiences in the office. Within a short period of time she became a certified Therapy Pet. When the need arose, Maggie would go to the acute hospitals and the rehabilitation units to visit her friends and help them heal. On rare occasion, Maggie even went to the emergency room if requested.
     Our mission soon involved weekly visits to George Mark Children’s House, the first pediatric hospice in the United States. Maggie was the dog in the pilot program designed to bring pet visits to children who were either actively dying or severely chronically ill children staying for respite.
     We went every week. If there were no kids in house, Maggie made her rounds to all the administrators, physicians, nurses, and other staff. The first child she stayed with who was dying was a seven year old girl. Maggie gingerly leapt onto her bed, rested her head on the child’s arm, and kept vigilance with her as the little girl continued her journey. Maggie instinctively knew where to be and what to do when we visited.
     When the older adults in the community where I worked neared the end of their lives, many family members and staff asked for Maggie’s company. She would enter a room, her eyes scanning to take in the situation, and then she would place herself where she felt the person needed her to be. Sometimes she would jump up on the bed and rest her head on someone’s thigh. It amazed me every time that Maggie’s breathing would become in sync with the person’s breaths. She knew exactly how long to stay and it was clear that she knew when to leave.
     We were blessed for ten years with the force of this unique and gifted dog―a dog whose unconditional love and devotion was bested only by her keen intuition and ability to read the people around her. She was, indeed, our Forever Dog.
     As I reminisce about our extraordinary life with Maggie, she certainly knew she had big paws to fill, and she surpassed any expectations we might have had. While another dog will never fill the hole Maggie left in our lives, Ellie, golden retriever number four brings us unabashed joy and is a weekly visitor at George Mark Children’s House. She too, knows she has big paws to fill.

 

Entry submitted November 24, 2009


Click here to return to our main 'Rags to Riches' Contest Page