Aged hospice dog who used wagon to visit elderly patients remembered fondly

[The Straight Story]

Aged hospice dog who used wagon to visit elderly patients remembered fondly

By Sue Manning (CP) – 8 hours ago

LOS ANGELES — As a therapy dog, Baxter comforted hundreds of hospice patients in their final hours. This year, old age caught up with Baxter.

The chow-golden retriever lost much of his body fur and use of his legs, so his owner, Melissa Joseph, made him a special red wagon that she pulled from door to door so he could visit hospice patients.

She would lift him onto the patient's bed, even though he weighed 36 pounds. Then frail arms would circle his neck or gnarled hands would stroke his fur and he and patients would share uncomplicated, unhurried moments that often turned into hours.

Baxter died this month at 19 1/2, one of the oldest working therapy dogs in the United States. A memorial service Wednesday at the San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine drew nearly 100 friends, family and staff. A YouTube video tribute has been watched by more than 315,000 people.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iskmLcQapNkDft6Ja-JpOMUaHJfQ

[enigmatic]

1. Safe Passage, Baxter

Good Dog:hug:

[virgogal]

2. Aw jeez---getting all teary here. My little gals only made it to 14.

What a nice story.

[dana_b]

3. here's the youtube tribute video of him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8pQM0qvlxo

sweet pup....

[The Straight Story]

4. Thank you. Brings tears to my eyes :( (nt)

[dana_b]

5. me too

I work in a hospital and it's wonderful when the therapy pets make the rounds. I feel that animals like Baxter are nature's angels.

[The Straight Story]

6. Some of those pics remind me of mom in her last days

The kind souls who work with such people never get enough credit in this world. Whereas people in sports, movies, etc get hailed as heros, have huge awards ceremonies on tv, etc.

Damned shame IMHO.

[dana_b]

7. I know what you mean

but a big difference is that the folks who work in hospitals, those who worked with your mom, etc., don't do it for awards. They love what they do and are happy to help anyway they can. Kind of like Baxter. :)

[The Straight Story]

8. Indeed they do not

But I think it would be nice if someone honored them in a more public fashion.

If for no other reason it would be nice for us to show them that their hard work and love is appreciated by so many.

[dana_b]

9. especially the hospice folks

I could NEVER do that and I worked on a peiatric oncology unit! lol

[The Straight Story]

10. Just saw this tribute to Baxter as well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIrDbzoOxZc&feature=related

Just damn.

[Hidden Stillness]

11. A Wonderful Dog--And Wonderful Person, Who Brought the Dog There for Visits

This is a wonderful and very moving story--like most people nowadays, I know about dogs going to hospitals to comfort people, but I never really thought about dogs at a hospice. This was probably more comforting and loving to people at their very end, than what it might be with most people; the dog going way beyond "fear of death" and "regrets" and all the other things that can make dying so difficult--just peace and love and gentle kindness. I'm sure this dog was hugely loved and appreciated, and I hope there will be another great replacement. I know Golden Retreivers and Golden Retreiver mixes, because of their sappy gentleness, make great therapy and comfort dogs of many kinds.

This reminds me of a dog that used to visit children in a cancer ward of a hospital. The dog also ended up with cancer, but because of it, she was not only a comfort and a friend, but it gave an opportunity for the kids to open up and talk about their own fears and difficult treatments, etc., because they would refer to the dog's cancer as a pretext.

More saintly animals in the world.