For as long as I've loved my friend and colleague, Steve Dale, he has always waxed poetic about his pets. Not just a good writer but a trainer as well, he never kept his pets to himself. Steve and his wife, Robin, have always been good about "sharing" their four-legged companions.
When his cat, Ricky, was alive, entertained local children, and people wherever he went by doing everything from jumping through a hoops to playing a children's piano. When Ricky died fay r too young of a cardiac disease that kills far too many young cats, Steve and Robin started The Ricky Fund at the Winn Feline Foundation to raise money to fund research in an attempt to find a cure for the disease.
For about as long as I've known him, Steve has talked about his Miniature Australian Shepherd, Lucy. Lucy combined the breed that Steve wanted with the size that Robin desired. And so, they trained Lucy to be an animal assistance dog, regularly visiting the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago where she helped patients with their therapy, touching hearts while helping heal bodies.
Lucy, a little dog who could help people and make them laugh, was nearly 16 years old when she was euthanized on May 2nd. A glorious love came to an end but the memories linger as does the help she provided so many people. Th sat would be enough for most owners who had shared their dogs with others in such a generous and loving way but not for Steve and Robin. ]
In Lucy's honor and because of her dedication to animal assisted therapy, the American Humane Association has created a fund that will provide assistance and recognition for other animal assisted therapy dogs like Lucy. Contribute to Lucy's Fund and help create an animal assisted therapy Hero Dog Award in her honor. Through Lucy's award her legacy will be celebrated forever and other heroic dogs like Lucy will be celebrated in the future. Click here for more information:
http://tinyurl.com/63b6fab
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