Amazing Daisy.

Dave and I were taking a trip up to Ohio in 2009 to visit his brother for the 4th of July and it was my idea to take pictures of myself in front of all the state signs because I'm a dork (well, yeah!) and I had never been to some of these states, so it was momentous! ;)

As we drove up through Georgia and Tennessee, we reveled in our solitude! No dogs! No cats! Just us on vacation for a few days in a new place!

We pulled into the Welcome Center in Kentucky and the first thing I saw was a white dog running around and I turned to Dave and asked, "what is that dog doing running around without a leash on?" We got out of the car, took the obligatory picture in front of the sign and Dave went into the bathroom. While he was in there, I asked a few people around about the dog. Most had said they had heard it had been here for a few days and the staff had been feeding it. Somebody just LEFT her here. Seriously. I thought to myself, "Ohhhh man. Now what am I going to do? I have to tell Dave..." So I did and we went over to her-- she was being loved on by a little boy with his family (a good sign). I took one look at her and saw she had certainly been neglected-- she had ticks and scratches all over her-- her coat was ratty and her skin looked infected. I called her over and she came to me and rolled over and showed me her belly-- at that point I knew we had to take her with us!

We loaded her into the car (rental, mind you-- had to vacuum that out!) and took off for Ohio. After a few more hours in the car, we stopped at a WalMart so we could buy food, a bowl, and shampoo because we were COMPLETELY unprepared for a dog. We got to our hotel who graciously allowed us to have an animal and Dave had to carry her inside-- she was terrified. She got a bath and we got some of the many ticks off of her. She settled in and had a great night's sleep--probably the first one in a while.

As the days went on, we got to know Daisy a bit. She seemed to really like other dogs but was a little timid of people-- maybe due to her past. She wouldn't even walk through a doorway-- she was so afraid of everyone and everything. We had to pretty much force the food into her face! We took her to the vet on our first day of vacation (AND the 4th of July!) and got her shots, etc. Thank goodness there was a vet open! We also learned that she was part Pit Bull. We had no idea at first and I was excited about that-- Pit Bulls always got such a bad reputation and here was a girl who was as sweet and loveable as any other dog!

We took her back with us to Florida (a 10 hour drive-- what a champ) and she met Sadie and Jackson and took to them immediately. I think the dogs really helped her relax. Her skin healed and her coat improved with proper nutrition. She was still timid but was getting better all the time. Our neighbors also got a dog named Sandy, and Daisy and Sandy became best friends. Seriously, there is no other BFF like Daisy and Sandy.

Now that we had dogs, I had begun to notice how much people seemed to open up around them, take part in conversations, and relax. I had my first encounter with a therapy dog at a hospital while I was working as a case manager. I was in the waiting area while my client was having outpatient surgery and a troop of therapy dogs came in. The friends and family members who were waiting in the waiting area immediately focused on the dogs-- their whole demeanor changed-- they relaxed and started talking-- it totally got their mind off of their loved one who was having surgery. It was magical! I began to do some research to see how therapy dogs could be incorporated into counseling and found a wealth of information. It really seemed to be something that could work AND benefit the client!

I enrolled Daisy in Beginner class at PetSmart and she did wonderfully. We made it through Intermediate with flying colors and Daisy flourished. This was her favorite thing-- she looked forward to going to school! She loved socializing with the other people and dogs and learning seemed to be something that she just took to naturally. It even kept her out of trouble at home-- she had virtually stopped digging out of the yard!

Daisy graduating from Beginner class

Daisy's work during intermediate class

We started Advanced Class and decided she would test for the AKC Canine Good Citizen at the end of the 8 weeks so she could become a therapy dog. How nerve-wracking! That week before the test I drilled her and drilled her. During the test, she nailed her sit/stay (she had to sit at one end of the aisle while I walked all the way down to the end of the aisle, stopped, and came back without her getting up!) and did beautifully. Now she has her certification and can start working as soon as the certificate comes in!

I think Daisy's journey from Kentucky to her time with us is a testament of the resilience and spirit of the soul. From such humble beginnings bloomed such a beautiful flower. I look forward to when she can share her story with others. I hope it inspires people to realize that no matter where you come from-- no matter HOW bad your beginning was-- you can rise above it if you pour your heart and soul into it. She's an amazing Daisy.