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Our Residential Pet

Our unofficial mascot

By Judith JaschaPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Our Residential Pet
Photo by Camilo Fierro on Unsplash

At the facility that I work at, there is a lovable dog that comes in with one of our nurses. She is a big dog, always with a smile and a wagging tail. She’s always adorned with a collar with a pink bow on it. Her name is Sunny. Her name is very suitable her, as whenever she comes in, everyone lights up. I am proud to consider her a coworker.

Sunny has been coming in with our weekend nurse regularly for the last few months. He had adopted her as a puppy and tells that they saved each other. He has since certified her as an emotional support pet. Now, whenever he comes to work, so does she. It is a beautiful sight to see residents who typically doesn’t say anything call Sunny up into their laps or beds and pets her. Sunny has learned who to go to for snacks as well. Some residents keep dog biscuits to give her when she comes by. She is very well-behaved and playful. If there is someone who is afraid of dogs, she will stay away. But eventually, just about everyone warms up to her. You can’t help but to.

Sometimes people just need that special gift of a loving pet. Our residents love animals and are always wanting to adopt a pet to use as the official resident pet. We’re still working to try to work on that. For the past year, there have been a group of stray cats that like to roam behind our facility. For a while, the residents would gather scraps from their meals to take out there. These cats eventually had kittens. For a couple of months, they were the unofficial resident project, taking care of them until we were able to find them a proper home. They ended up getting adopted out to a family, but we still regularly get pictures and updates on them.

For people with illnesses or disabilities, a pet can bring joy, and sometimes, even save lives. They can warn patients when they are having issues with their blood sugar, seizures, or even their heart. People with emotional issues find comfort with them. They make a huge difference in anyone’s lives that they come into. Although there is still some controversy as to how useful emotion support pets are, the evidence speaks for itself. Recently, a local restaurant was sued when a family with an autistic child wasn’t allowed to bring in their certified support dog. It’s unfortunate that this still happens, as some people depend on their pets to function properly.

Growing up, I never really considered myself an animal person. In fact, I was once terrified of dogs, running whenever I saw one. Since I’ve grown up, I’ve done a complete turnaround. I have several dogs and cats that like to hang out at my home. I think we pretty much adopt each other. I’ve been known to drop “accidentally” some of my lunch to Sunny or said strayed cats at work. Pets bring a pure, innocent love that is hard to come by. They don’t care who you are or what you have. They are forever loyal. Once you gain their trust, they always have your side.

I love watching the residents play with Sunny. It makes a huge impact on my own life. Along with the pool of smiles, is a smile on my face. Because just as Sunny brightens up the residents’ days, the residents brighten up Sunny’s days as well. We’re one big happy family, and with that, we are able to take on whatever the day throws at us.

humanity
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About the Creator

Judith Jascha

Mom, sister, teacher, student, writer. I love to touch on all areas as I like to expose myself to new things. My goal is to use my experience to entertain and educate.

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