Happiness is a visit from a friendly dog

Ever since he was adopted from the Humane Society 18 months ago, my dog Reilly's had a job to do. The scope of his work has changed somewhat in that time, but he's been up to the challenge.

As a 9-week-old puppy, Reilly was chosen to be a companion for my grandfather, who at the time was living alone in St. Louis. Grandpa was thrilled about the prospect of having a dog again after several years without a pet in the house.

For years, he and his longtime companion Karen had three white German shepherds: Rennie, Lady and Duke. But the dogs had been gone a while, and what Grandpa hadn't planned for was the house-training and obedience lessons that a new puppy needs.

A week after Reilly moved in, Grandpa was ready to give him up. My brother's cat, Zeke, seemed to be a more suitable companion for Grandpa.

So Reilly came to live with me and started visiting Grandpa every weekend when we drove to St. Louis. Sometimes he'd stay at the house; other times he'd come with us for visits to the nursing home where Karen was living.

Just like Grandpa, I wasn't quite prepared for the adjustments that have to be made when a puppy comes into the household. Reilly had more energy than I ever imagined possible, but he also was very patient and gentle when he was approached by a new friend.

During our weekend visits to see Grandpa, Reilly often would ride along to the nursing home to visit Karen and any of the other residents and staff who stopped us along the way to her room. Even as a young puppy, Reilly loved being around older adults. He was always very calm and still while the residents petted him or waited by their wheelchair so they could see his face.

The nursing home visits in St. Louis stopped a year ago when Karen passed away. But Reilly's work as a companion dog hasn't ended.

After almost six months of obedience classes, Reilly has become a well-trained volunteer for Pet Pals, a volunteer pet therapy program organized by the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri.

I heard about the program from a friend and took Reilly for his test in February. The test didn't take long and followed most all the requirements of the Canine Good Citizen test. (I was afraid he wouldn't pass, but apparently he's smarter than he lets on.)

A month after Reilly and I passed the Pet Pals test and completed our veterinary forms, we made our first visit to St. Francis Medical Center's orthopedic rehabilitation unit. Laura Hurst, Pet Pal coordinator, and Sarah McGowan, a recreational therapist, came along too.

Reilly loved the visit -- there were so many people to see and all of them delighted to have a furry visitor in their room. We spent about an hour at the hospital, visiting with whichever patients invited us inside.

A month later, we made our first visit to a Jackson nursing home. Whenever we enter the nursing home door, Reilly knows what's about to happen: He's headed to work.

He's excited about coming to visit and meeting new people, who will gladly give him attention -- and sometimes a cracker or treat. (He's always interested in snacks.)

During our visits, which primarily have been to nursing homes, Reilly will sit beside a wheelchair so a patient can bend down to pet his head, or he'll sit up on the edge of a bedside so that a stroke patient can reach his fur. He's given out kisses, shared his toys and showed off his assorted tricks.

The nursing home visits are always delightful because so many of the residents share stories about pets they had as children or left behind at home or with a child when they moved into the facility. It seems to brighten their day to have Reilly visit, and that, in turn, brightens mine.

Laura is the features editor for the Southeast Missourian.