Murphee, my Bernese Mountain dog girl, was a therapy dog from the first day we brought her home. She came out of the womb a gentle, loving soul that just wanted to be hugged. We spent the last 3 years going every week to the Alta Vista Manor. Every time I got her “Therapy Bag” out of the closet she’d run to the front door and sit down anxiously waiting for me to put her working vest on. She adored kids more than anything in the world (other than ice cream) and would lie on her back, all four paws in the air, tail wagging, and howling until they came across the street to greet her and rub her belly. Because of this, I was hoping to get her involved in the READ program at some point in the future but, unfortunately, we ran out of time when she was diagnosed with Acute Leukemia this last summer (2009). Murphee will forever be in our hearts as the kindest, most docile dog we could ever ask for who ended up teaching me more about the good in people than anyone else.
Murphee