Allie the Therapy dog

by Bonnie F Smith
(Norman, Ok)

I was a volunteer at our local animal shelter and walked the dogs 3 days a week. I immediately saw this big, dirty white dog in a large cage with a huge bloody gash around her neck. How could I have missed her. She started talking to me and barking so that I would know she was there. Each time I walked a dog she spoke to me in her doggie language . I found out she had been found running loose with a dangling rope around her neck. When they cut it loose it popped and so did her neck . I was so upset with that horrible looking gash on this beautiful puppy that I asked to take her to my vet,asked if I could bring my vet there but couldn't since that was against the rules only way I could help her was to adopt her when she got much better.
Soon I was sitting down outside her cage talking to her and crying over her pain and treatment.

I did adopt her as soon as she was healed enough. I took that dirty 4 1/2 month old, 40 pound home with me. My daughter and son in law bathed her in a tub in the yard. Much to my surprise she was beautiful, all whit except for her beige ears. Just before we left the shelter I
Found that she was a Pyrenees and she was bred to herd animals. Well my city home had a large back yard, fenced with a tall wooden fence and lots of flowers. Oops I had to find something for this large puppy to do. We started training and didn't stop until she had her basic,good citizen and therapy dog certificates and licenses. We started our nursing home visits with our trainer and oh she was immediately in love with all the residents. She talked and whined to them and loved the great things they said to her. No one had seen a pry and her beauty and loving personality made her their baby. By this time she was about 1 year old and weighed a whole lot more than a girl pry should. She loved to go to the va nursing home. The guys adored her and she them. She had special friends of course, but she instinctively knew to p show it when others were around. She was fond of all the Alzheimer's patients and was extra loving to them. We went to the home for handicapped children and loved them as much or more than she loved her vets. She walked with them and knew she had to be very careful with them. Very seldom did I have to say anything to guide her. She just knew and followed her heart to make the kids feel as good as she could.

I also needed back surgery so she became my cane. I leaned on her up the stairs, down the halls and when I sat down she was there to help me up. She helped me in my flower beds. I worked the flowers she pulled me up and pulled the gardening wagon for me. What a girl. She was mine and I was hers. I always felt safe with her for she would have died before letting anyone hurt me.

She died last April. None of our doctors could save her. She was only 7 years old. I have received sympathy cards from so many people that I don't know of any human that could have generated more. I still cry everyday because I miss my best friend so badly. She weighed 140
Pounds and I am 74 years old and don't believe that I can raise another large dog and none would be my Allie,the big white dog.