Mattie's Story
Please Note: The dog in the accompanying photograph is the subject of the story, but the child or teenager pictured is probably not the patient in the story.Mattie is a Silky Terrier, similar to the Yorkies you see everywhere. She has a funny “snaggle tooth”, you know, one of those teeth that goes every which way instead of straight up and down. The tooth disqualified her for the show ring, so for a year she was passed over and remained with the breeder, sadly watching the other puppies being adopted. Then we came along. We brought her home from the hospital…er...breeder, and she began a whole new life.
As she settled into her new home, we heard about Love on 4 Paws. Now everybody needs a purpose in life, and Mattie was no different. She was bored just sitting around the house, eating doggie bonbons and being groomed. And who wouldn’t be? So for a year Mattie trained for her audition, hoping to pass the test to be a therapy dog. The big day came, and she passed! O hallelujah! Off she went to meet the children.
Mattie loves her job. And it’s a real job, except she doesn’t get paid. Well, actually she does. Josh paid her the other day when he began to laugh, while he was teaching her to “high five” on his bed. Maria paid her, too, when they snuggled and Maria whispered secrets in her ear. Mario’s mom said she hadn’t seen many smiles from him since his surgery, but here was Mario, sitting up in bed and giggling, as Mattie and Mario played hide and seek with a doggie treat. Mattie thought that hearing Mario giggle was a huge payment, but when Mattie did her rollover and over and over trick for Ricardo, he couldn’t stop clapping his hands and squealing, “More!” That was the best payment of all.
Most days Mattie is just a house dog. Sometimes we call her a Silky Terrorist because she is so frisky. But when we go off to Childrens Hospital, Mattie knows she is going to work, and she gets serious. Some people never find passion in their life’s work. Mattie has.
Mattie thinks that one of the best things that ever happened to her is having a snaggle tooth.
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