I volunteered to train a yellow lab, Jonas, as a service dog. However, due to random seizures that developed, Jonas would not be placed as an official service dog. However, the organization received a special request from a family with a young boy who was recovering from some bone cancer, which has caused some amputation of one leg. He had asked his parents if they could get a dog and someone in the organization found out and thought this could be a perfect match. But they didn't know how perfect it would end up to be!
For those that don't know about service dogs, they are very well trained and are given to someone with a disability to help them gain independence. They learn to ignore many distractions, sleep in their own kennels, do not jump up on people or furniture, and master many commands.
So while this dog was well trained, this was still not a promised gift to the boy. So the plan was for me to visit the home with a representative from the service dog organization, at a time when just the father was home so we could all meet and have a mini-interview. The father could meet me and Jonas, while the representative could also visit the father and home.
As I entered the house and met the father, we let Jonas loose in the house to explore the new area. While we weren't worried with his behavior, we also tested to see if the father was ready for this experience.
As the service dog representative continued to ask and answer questions, I realized Jonas had not returned to us and I feared he might have gotten into something. I tried to think of what could peak his interest that much. It was then the father informed me they have cats and asked if I had any cats. I'm allergic to cats, so Jonas had never really seen a cat, much the less played with a cat, so I was a bit worried. The father went off to look for him while we anxiously waited. He came back with Jonas to report what he had found.
Jonas was in the boy's bedroom, up on the bed, sleeping on his pillow. My heart melted. This is a dog not allowed to jump up on furniture, yet for whatever reason he had found his home. Nothing I could have said in the interview would have topped that action. Jonas was a hit with the father!
As tough as it was to say goodbye to Jonas as he went to live with his new family, that memory will never leave me.
