Helping Paw: Golden Retriever Known Throughout Town
By Marilyn Olson, Special to the Herald News, January 27, 2002
Photos by Donna Phillips

Barb Hostert (right) and Brittany Crentwell take Barb's dog, Sandy, for a walk after school.

   
MOKENA — Sandy is everyone's friend. Students going back and forth to school always stop to visit her. Neighbors like to play with her. She helps the crossing guard who enjoys her company. People in cars honk and wave at her. And to Barb Hostert, Sandy is her angel.
   
Sandy is famous in her hometown. Most Mokena residents know and love her. That's noteworthy because Sandy is a 12-year-old Golden Retriever. School kids quickly adopted Sandy as "their" dog.
   
Hostert lives at the busy corner of Wolf Road and 195th Street. Phyllis Karpola has been a crossing guard there for 16 years. Sandy decided her job is to help Karpola keep kids safe as they cross the busy street.
   
Karpola is on duty from 7:30 to 8:30 each morning and again from 2:30 to 3:30 each afternoon. Sandy insists on being outside at those times to protect Karpola and her kids. "Sandy has a tie-out wire that just reaches to the sidewalk," Hostert says. "She insists on being out on her line when Phyllis is out there. Kids all visit with Sandy, and when Phyllis says it's safe, they cross the street. When Phyllis and the kids are in the street, Sandy sits there and barks until they are all safely back on the sidewalk."

Barb Hostert (right) and Brittany Crentwell take Barb's dog, Sandy, for a walk after school.

When Karpola waits for the next group of youngsters to help across the street, she stands next to Sandy, holding the dog's paw.
   
The friendly dog has become such a beloved character at the corner that drivers and their passengers and buses full of students all honk and wave at her. They are rewarded by a friendly woof, loll of the tongue and wag of the tail.
   
Hostert got Sandy from the animal shelter after her old dog died. "I had to put my old dog, Lucky, to sleep, and I was devastated," Hostert remembers. "But my good friend and neighbor told me to get in the car, we were going for a ride. She took me to the shelter, and we looked at all the dogs."
   
Finding just the right dog was a challenge because Hostert has multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the control of her muscles. "We tried a puppy first, but it was just too rambunctious and would have knocked me over," Hostert recalls. "Then I found Sandy, sitting quietly in a pen. I took her to the 'get acquainted' area, and she was very quiet. She hugged me, shoot hands, and when I told her to go lay down, she did."
  
It was love at first sight but what Hostert had not counted on was how Sandy would become one of Mokena's most loved citizens.
   
Hostert had always been athletic and the doctor's diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was hard to accept at first, she says. She played women's professional basketball from 1974 to 1980 with Moore's All American Redheads. The team has the largest exhibit on display at the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tenn.
   
"We played 200 games each season, traveling all over the country," Hostert remembers. Then I was injured and stopped playing. I worked at Mobil Chemical in Frankfort until 1996 when I retired with my disability. But I have found I can still get around well, using my scooter and cane. "MS has made me slow down, and now I appreciate some things more."
   
For years Sandy and Hostert have been common sights as they travel around the village. Sandy has always heeled right alongside the scooter, sitting at each street corner.
   
Though not officially trained as an helping dog for disabled people, Sandy seemed to know her job with her owner from the start. "I fall down a lot, and when I do. Sandy comes over and taps me with her paw, asking if I'm OK." Hostert says. "I used to be able to lean on her as I got back up. but Sandy is petting older and has arthritis in her hind legs now. Since she's gotten that, we don't walk around town as much as we used to. Now she has a special friend, Brittany Crentwell, a neighbor's daughter, who faithfully comes every day after school to take Sandy on a short walk. Brittany takes Sandy down to her brother's school to pick him up after school."
   
Sandy is so famous in the village that she even gets Christmas cards, all addressed to her. When Hostert goes out of town. Sandy goes to live with another Mokena family, who say they would adopt her in a moment.
   
"I'm famous in Mokena, all because of Sandy," Hostert said with a laugh. "I went to a wake last week, and everyone wanted to know about Sandy. I really think she's my angel."

Mike took the time to snail mail this news article. But, his thoughtfulness went much further than that. He researched and found Barb Hostert in Mokena and called her to chat. She had never known of my site and was thrilled about her new found notoriety. Mike of course provided her with my site and email addresses In a post entitled "Thanks a Million," this is what Barb wrote to me: "I just wanted to tell you thanks for putting the article about my celebrity dog Sandy on your website. I just met Mike over the phone and he told me all about it. One of these days he will be bringing Jordan over to meet with Sandy. What a neat website! Goldens are wonderful! Thanks again." — Barb Hostert and Sandy

Little did Barb know that Mike was planning a very special Valentine's Day 2003 visit. Bundled up (it sure does look cold there in Illinois) with Golden Jordan, camera and a present of beautiful long stem yellow roses (my personal favorite) in tow, Mike set off for Mokena. I am so thrilled that Mike caught their surprise meeting on film for the rest of us.

Mike said that the "excitement was overwhelming. Sandy was jumping as soon as she saw Jordan, and Barb came right over to greet us." He said that Barb loved the yellow roses that *Jordan* gave to her. Mike and Maureen had a wonderfully lovely afternoon talking and visiting with Barb. What a special guy to drive all the way to Mokena to visit, and to take such a lovely gift as well.

While most people would marvel at such generosity and kindness toward a total stranger, us Golden folks know that this kind of response is the type one sees again and again by those who are owned by Goldens. We just love sharing Gold and helping to make the world more Golden at the same time. I can't tell you how many folks write about the joy that they receive by letting their Goldens communicate such love and caring.

Sandy was very happy to see another Golden Retriever like herself, as you can see. Don't you just love the sweetness in this three-Golden smile photo? I sure do!

Mike, who has got to be my number one fan, was thrilled to tell me that Barb couldn't stop talking about my website and how thankful she was about my showcasing her Golden and her story. He was truly amazed and so thankful that I added the article to my site, not truly understanding that it was I who was the fortunate one. Yet, we are all fortunate that folks like Mike are spreading the Golden message we all know and love so well. Mike's heartfelt actions were greatly rewarded as he wrote, "I feel so good inside to see the happiness and tears of joy it brings to someone like Barb."

Silly Mike continues to want to thank me, thinking I must be part Golden Retriever as he believes that I truly have a heart of Gold. Of course, as you can see, I am merely the one who shares the Gold . . . .  and the incredibly Golden deeds that my special friends out there all over the world continue to bestow on others.