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In The Mind of Dog: A Helping Dog's Life (By Ginger, With Help From Johnny Sandusky, aged 11 1/2) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Rated "G" by the Author.
A dog with a special mission in life shares her story. She is the helping dog to a little boy with serious physical disabilities, and she is his best friend.
Arf! Arf! Arf..Oh, sorry, excuse me! I am sorry, but I just realized that you are Human: you don't speak Dog! Sorry about that...
My name is "Ginger", and I am a 2 1/2-year-old golden Labrador Retriever with big brown eyes and a heart full of love (especially towards my Master, Johnny, who is my Little Boy that I take care of). Johnny has a lot of problems, so I often have to act like his arms and legs, and if he drops things, I pick them up off the ground, or I help get stuff off of higher shelves because he just doesn't have the reach. I also alert the Boy's Family if he has seizures, and they can help him through those; and if he has trouble with his breathing, I can send an Alarm, and they can call for help and the Paramedics. I also can help him get dressed if he has trouble, and I can give him love and lick his tears away if he is feeling sad or lonely. I also can help him up if he falls out of his chair again or trips over his crutches if he is using them. I may be a Dog, but I can do many things, and when I am with my Boy, I am all business! He is my responsibility, and as long as he and I are together, I am totally attuned to his needs and nothing else matters.
I met Johnny almost a year ago when we were matched up, and I was matched up with a Little Boy (then ten) who was in a wheelchair and wore braces on his legs. He seemed shy and lonely, but I have since helped to bring him out of his shell, and he is now more outgoing and has friends, thanks to me. I also helped him overcome his fear of school and learning, and he got help; and he is now doing much better. He and I go everywhere together: to school, to the store, to the amusement park or zoo, or even to the doctor's office (or hospital, if he gets sick). Wherever he is, I am right there by his side, and I will not leave him! He is a good Little Kid, and I am glad we are friends; he seems happier with me around, and I think I have made his life a lot easier to bear!
Johnny is very cute if I do say so: he has short, spiky blonde hair that is so light it looks almost white in the sunlight, big, blue eyes, and a thin, pale face; and he has never been all that big physically. He has always been a scrawny Little Fellow, but I think he is something special! He takes care of me the best way he can, and if he has trouble, his Human Family is always there, to help him out. Somebody is usally with him if I am not because of his health problems, and with Johnny, one never knows when he will get sick. He can get very sick in a hurry, but we are always there to help him. Sure, it is scary, and I don't like to see him sick any more than Humans do, so when he IS sick, we try our best to get him over his problems, and we pray like crazy to the Big Man Upstairs, to help him through it. Usually He does, and for that I am VERY glad! I don't know what I would do without My Boy; I would be a very unhappy Dog, that is for DARN sure!
Johnny and I like to do a lot of things together: we play ball outside, he takes me for Walks (okay, actually, I do the Walking--unless he is on his crutches--, while he rolls by my side in his chair!), we get our exercise, we watch tv or read together, and we play with his Human Brothers and Sisters. Johnny has a very big Family of Humans, and while I DO love his Family very much, I don't love them half as much as I do my Johnny! Johnny is MY Responsibility, and he IS my Human, so it is only natural that I love him best! I love to hear Johnny laugh, and nothing breaks my Doggie Heart more than to see him unhappy or sad, and whenever I see tears on his little Face, it is all I can do to keep from crying myself, right along with him! I wish I could see him happy all the time, but of course, that isn't possible; so when Johnny IS sad, all I can do is be the best Doggie Pal to him and try to lick his tears away and try to cheer him up! I am a very good cheerer-upper, if I do say so myself! How can anyone NOT resist my adorable little Doggie Face or my smile or my big, brown eyes??
~Written by Johnny Sandusky, aged 11 1/2 (with Assistance by yours truly, "Ginger", the WonderDog!). :)
all I can do is be the best Doggie Pal to him and try to lick his tears away and try to cheer him up!
And I'm sure Ginger is always up to the task, since dogs are often much smarter than we are, and often much more compassionate. And Ginger reminds me of one of my wonderful childhood pals named Lucy, who was also a Golden Retriever. Although she was my pal, and loved to rough house with me, she was also my blind grandmother's nurse and protecter, and she always made sure Grandma got tucked into bed safely every night - even walked beside her very slowly so Grandma wouldn't bump into the walls.
this is precious--helping dogs are angels with fur :)
beautiful write--i, too, enjoyed
(((HUGS))) and love, karla. :)
Reviewed by Judy Lloyd
10/27/2004
I had a dog like that and his name was Trooper he was a true helper and companion. I have a friend whose dog is named Nugget like the one in the picture. This is a marvelous write. I enjoyed it.
Arf! Arf! Arf..Oh, sorry, excuse me! I am sorry, but I just realized that you are Human: you don't speak Dog! Sorry about that...
