A Wonderful Visit

For those of you who don't know, I volunteer with the Cedar Valley Humane Society.  As a volunteer, I go to the pound each month, select a dog, and take it to a nursing home to interact with the residents.

As I mentioned in a previous post, last month's visit was the worst.  I found out that my all-time favorite resident had died.  This month's visit, however, was probably my best visit ever, and it almost didn't happen.  Upon arriving at the animal shelter, I quickly determined that none of the animals were suited for a visit; they were all to energetic, and I didn't want to risk the chance of a dog jumping up and hurting a resident.  As I was preparing to cancel the visit, one of the employees offered to let me take her dog.

The employee, who will remain nameless to protect her anonymity, introduced me to Lola, her one year old teacup chihuahua.  Lola was curious, but also very quiet and mellow... a perfect fit for the visit.  When I got to the home, I realized quickly that Lola was a good fit.  Virtually everyone there was delighted to meet Lola, even people who aren't usually interested in seeing the dogs I bring.  They were particularly pleased to be able to hold the pooch, who was completely content to be held and adored by the residents.

I also met a new resident who was absolutely delightful, and we chatted for several minutes.  I believe that I am going to greatly enjoy getting to know her.  She's an incredibly humble, thankful, charming and happy soul.  I was also pleased to see a couple of people who were admitted for short term rehabilitation, and found out that a woman I'd met a couple of months ago will be going home in a day or two.  At my last stop, Lola fell asleep in the resident's arms, apparently exhausted from all of the attention she received.

Though not all visits are fun per se, they are all very rewarding, and today's visit will remain in my memory for a long time to come.  It was a welcome contrast to last month's visit.  I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the anonymous employee at the Humane Society who so generously allowed me to take her baby.