Jim Ellison, President of Pet Companions Club
It was Gotcha Day, the anniversary date of when my mom, Candy Lawson, got me. This picture popped up on her computer. It was a picture of when I was a tiny puppy. I have a little bed that sits next to my mom’s computer on her desk. I like to nap while she types, sends emails, and shops. My mom loves to shop on the computer! Actually, that is how she got me. I digress! So, I happened to open my eyes, and I jumped out of my bed to take a look. Wasn’t I a cute puppy? I’m all grown up now, two years plus five months old. My mom got me when I was 11 weeks old. I was pretty petite, only two pounds eight ounces. I’m now almost eight pounds. Still not big, but Mom says I’m full of personality.
We get along really well. Mom takes me everywhere she can and shares me with people in the hardware store, or at the craft store. Actually, she takes me anywhere they will let her. The tellers at the bank really like me. Mom says it is good for me to get exposed to people. She says she is doing something called “socializing” me. You see, my mom belongs to a group started here in PebbleCreek called Mutts On A Mission. Look us up on Facebook. We are an all-volunteer therapy dog group. Before Covid (I think we are going to hear that phase a lot in the future), Mutts did volunteering at Abrazo Hospital, The Groves, Goodyear Library, and four elementary schools in Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
Before the pandemic, they used to help kids that needed a little extra help in reading. Do you know how they did that? They brought us, their registered therapy dogs, to school every week and met with the wonderful kids. Because the kids read to us, we heard lots of stories. I’m not sure they realized they were practicing their reading, but that’s what they were doing, petting us and reading aloud to a therapy dog. Isn’t that great?
At the hospital, we would go from room to room just visiting and cheering people up. Mom liked to visit the heart patients because she was one herself. She told me she remembers the warm feeling the visiting dogs made her feel and how it took her mind off what was happening. I just know that people like to pet me and smile a lot when I am in their room. Soon enough, we will be back visiting and reading. Until then, I’ll be with her everywhere she goes and next to her computer.
Stay safe, stay healthy.