Michele’s Weekly Pet Challenge: Chewy, A Therapy Dog for Elderly and Handicapped
Michelle’s Weekly Pet Challenge, Week 37
Meet Chewy, a fourteen-year-old therapy dog who visits the medically needy and elderly at The Shores at Wesley Manor in Ocean City, NJ.
I can’t say enough good things about this wonderful facility/home that allows volunteers to bring in dogs to visit the handicapped, medically needy, and elderly people in their care.
My brother, Adam, has always been an active person, but now in his later years, he is wheelchair bound. He has been blind for more than twenty years, and he has coped well. But now his physical and cognitive health have deteriorated, and he needs twenty-four hour care. After several unsuccessful placements, he is now thriving at Wesley Manor. Dawn, Kim, Tricia, Jonathan, and many other specialists and aides seem to take a special interest in Adam. This is all very heart warming for our family.
Visits from Chewy and other therapy dogs brighten Adam’s day. The smiles these dogs bring to his face are priceless.
Read more Adam’s life as an active blind person here:
B: Big Brother’s Bits about Being Blind
VIP: Visually Impaired Person in the News Again
Elderly, Blind, and Living in a Big Black Box
Tips for Caregivers of Visually Impaired Persons in Care Settings
Janice Hall Heck 
That chewy is a sweet, four legged little angel.
He is a little doll, and he’s so good with the patients at the care center. My brother looks forward to his visits. The staff makes sure the dogs visit Adam because he loves them so much.
You have that right! What a little doll and so good as a therapy dog.
How wonderful. I am glad your brother has found a good place…and the bonus of Chewy and other visiting dogs. Chewy is a real cutie.
It is a relief for the whole family. It is amazing how much he has improved since we moved him to Wesley Manor. They are the best!
that is great
The beautiful think about these animals is that they don’t see our flaws (or they choose to ignore them!) 🙂 Lovely post.
You are right. They just love unconditionally. Thanks for your visit (s).
I am so pleased to hear that your brother is in a good place now. Those therapy dogs are really so special. Thank you for sharing this with us Janice.
Thanks. Hey, I like those therapy dogs, too. They make me laugh when I see how well they react with the care facility patients. Even the staff gets enjoyment out of these visits.
Chewy could melt millions of hearts, so cute with Yoda ears and a sweet Ewok-like face!
I love hearing of more instances where dogs and other pets are making every difference in the world to humans in need. Animals are capable of so much and write-ups like this further that awareness.
Sad and good news about your brother – it is indeed difficult to find just the right facility and staff for a loved one. I scanned some of the links on Adam and was amazed at how blind the sighted are when it comes to relating to and interacting with the blind!
Great post, Janice! I’ve bookmarked it : )
Thanks, Miss Alister. Just visited my brother again today and met another adorable therapy dog. It gives me great joy to meet these wonderful volunteers who come in with their dogs to help cheer up these elderly. My brother especially needed a doggie visit today. He was down in the dumps, confused, disoriented, depressed, and even a little angry. He wants to go home so badly, but that just is not possible. The dog helped to change his mood, and I am thankful for that. I’ll post this dog’s picture next week. I have another therapy dog for this week.
Oh I know, it’s so sad, and we’re at such a loss to help much. I noticed with my father-in-law, his anger at his loss of abilities, memory, vocabulary, etc. accelerated toward the end as his condition markedly worsened. He was able to stay at home, so no doggies, but for those without that one constant (even if, at times, they don’t know they’re home) I’ve seen therapy pets make an amazing difference : )
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sweet! 🙂 an yes aminalz do help so very very much sometimez 🙂
Thanks for your visit. These pets are so cute, aren’t they. And when they visit the elderly and handicapped, that makes them so much more special.