Therapy Dog 

Therapy Dog Rascal doing his thing. Some of you may know, we lost Tootsie (our dog of 16  years) in July at the same time we almost lost Syd. I didn’t think we would be able to get a new  dog because I didn’t think Syd was healthy enough. Syd was mostly couch bound and had to be  assisted up and off the sofa, bed, chair etc. She could walk once she got going but her balance  was off. 

Still, I was not surprised when I came home one day and her mom had helped her research  adoptable dogs. She had narrowed it down to 37. We checked out a few at the west side  humane society and on a separate day, Syd and her mom found Rascal at the Town Humane  Society.  

He is 8 and just loves being around us and was a constant companion to Syd. I discovered I  was massively allergic to dogs and had just survived because Tootsie was so tiny. Syd was  convinced we might have to give up Rascal but he is seriously the best dog I have ever owned. I  am on four medications so we can keep him--Two of the men's allow me to breathe. 

I believe he was brought into our lives not only to add quality to her final months (Syd  aggressively worked on walking and not only was able to walk him daily but also trained for, and  completed, an impressive Kaiwi Coast 4 mile walk in November). Rascal didn’t do the Kaiwi  Coast Event, but was her training partner. We joked that he could do a 40 minute mile because  he stopped to sniff and pee so often. He is also a proudly prolific pooper.  

Now he is my constant companion (except in the evenings because he has abandoned me to  sleep with my Mother In Law).