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QUESTION: Several years back, I was the Administrator of a very large (117
thousand square footage) Nursing Home and a separate but physically
conjoined Assisted Living Center. As part of a grant, we had received,
we had incorporated the Eden Alternative into the facilities. One day
Dorothy (the daughter of one of our long time residents) walked into my
office and requested to adopt Precious, one of our facility owned dogs.
She seemed insistent about adopting that dog. Dorothy's mother had just
died in our nursing home a few weeks prior to this visit. I was
perplexed by the request because Precious was a plain, ordinary,
nothing-special kind of dog. We had cute dogs and dogs that did tricks
but Precious was "just there". She spent her time in the seat of a
rocking chair in our Assisted Living Facility. She never left "her
spot." She didn't entertain the residents nor did serve as a watch dog.
Her attributes were few. So why was Dorothy so determined to adopt her?
I asked her to have a seat and to please explain her passionate request.
Dorothy's mother had been with us for a number of years, however, when
she took a turn into the actively dying process, Dorothy began coming
every night to be with her mother. I was aware of her night time visits.
Dorothy proceeded to tell me that each night when she arrived at the
facility Precious would be waiting for her at the far eastern parking
lot door. I found that hard to believe! First of all, Precious never
left Assisted Living. Secondly, for Precious to be at that specific door
she had to navigate through five sets of closed fire doors. Personally,
I was convinced that the dog was not smart enough to accomplish that
task. Dorothy proceeded to tell me she and Precious would spent the
nights at her mother's bedside. Dorothy would sit in a bedside chair as
Precious curled up beside her in that chair as Dorothy read her Bible.
This went on or the last several weeks of mom's life.
Then, Dorothy said the night that it became evident that mom's death was
eminent the same routine of Dorothy and Precious at the bedside took on
more importance. Dorothy had come to rely on the dog for solace.
Precious had become her friend. However, as her mom lie in the bed with
life ebbing, Dorothy was in great distress at the reality that the end
had finally come. At the most crucial time Dorothy said Precious got up
and left the room. Dorothy was upset, began to cry and challenged God
because her only friend had left her in her in her time of need. She
said she stood at the bedroom window crying for about 20 minutes.
Suddenly, Precious returned to the room and as Precious entered the room
Dorothy saw a trail of animals entering the room behind her. Precious,
four other dogs and two cats came to the bedside, climbed onto the bed
and surrounded her Mother's body. They all stayed with Dorothy until her
mother died. We never knew what Precious' purpose at the facility was
but from that day forward we watched. It soon became evident that when
Precious left her Assisted Living Center rocking chair that there was a
soul in need of comfort and she had to be there.
Footnote: Precious remains at the nursing home until this day and
Dorothy has visitation rights. Each Wednesday Dorothy picks Precious up
and takes her in the car to the local park and a stop on the way home
for ice cream.
ANSWER: Definitely need a warning on that one!!
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