Six and half years ago the kids wanted a dog for Christmas. “I’ll do EVERYTHING if you get me a dog,” I was constantly told. I was a lousy dog owner as a kid and I wanted to do better. I wanted a dog that could come into work with me. I wanted an antique store dog.
An antique store dog is the black Labrador you see walking through an antique store and are unsure if it is a statue or real. The dog has the run of the place and isn’t bothered by anybody coming or going.
A friend told me they got a rescue dog from Puppies For Parole. “You can get a certified and trained dog to come into the clinic,” she said. Puppies For Parole takes shelter dogs and maximum security prisoners train them to pass the Canine Good Citizen Test and some dogs progress to one of three levels of Certified Helper Dog.
I reached out to Puppies for Parole and started the process to get a rescue dog. I needed a hypoallergenic Certified Helper Dog to come into the clinic with me. The first dog available was Holly. She was an 18 months to two years-old Shih Tzu mix weighing about 16 pounds. My wife picked her up and was told “We have had a lot of dogs come through the program. None of them walk around like she owns the place like this one.”
She is named Holly for her halitosis. I guess you need a sense of humor working in a shelter. Her bad breath improved when five rotting teeth were pulled on her first veterinarian appointment. i know nothing about her history prior to the prison. I received a nine page handwritten letter from the prisoner preparing me for Holly’s quirks and personality.
Our Gotcha Day for Holly was six years ago. Holly started at work with me the next day. Two days later clients could not believe I had her for less than a week. She moved right in and took over the place.
Carol, my manager, said “If every dog was like Holly, everyone would have a dog.” Check out the Puppies For Parole program for an inexpensive, crate trained, potty trained, leash trained rescue dog.