by Dianne Hickerson
The residents at Beikirch Care Center celebrated Mikey’s birthday in October when he came by for one of his usual visits.Monday, May 7, we lost a very special friend, the kind you can’t replace. For more than six years Mikey the Therapy Dog brought smiles to the faces of so many elderly residents of Lakeside Beikirch Care Center in Brockport. He passed away quietly after a brief fight with cancer.
Mikey was born to be a therapy dog. He was naturally gifted in gentleness and loving and at 115 pounds he quickly became known as the gentle giant. He had the perfect personality and suitability to bring comfort and companionship to the elderly residents of Beikirch Care Center. He visited every week, and greeted each resident with a wag of the tail, a gentle paw shake, and his head on their lap. Broad smiles beamed across their faces, and of course Mikey did all his silly routines to make them smile even more. I could tell that he brought a sparkle to their day, and perhaps rekindled old memories of previously owned pets.
Mikey was definitely heaven sent. Each week he amazed me with his ability to bring comfort and happiness to the residents. He reacted differently to each person he visited. One resident he visited regularly was feeling depressed, so Mikey immediately went to her bedside, jumped up with his front paws on the edge of the bed, and began giving puppy kisses on both cheeks. The resident started to laugh and continued laughing until she was nearly crying. It was just so unexpected and so funny. I told Mikey to get down, and that he had given enough kisses, but the resident insisted that he stay right where he was, and said, “I haven’t laughed like that in years. Thank you so much.”
Mikey gets a dog treat from his friend. Ruth Werth.Mikey knew just how to react to each resident. He had the innate ability to know just what they needed from him, whether it be gentle petting or silliness. If they were a little reticent, he would quietly sit next to them and after a while, he would offer his paw. If the resident was excited to see him, he was more animated and did some cute routines. In the activity room, he actually sat at a table with a group of people who were working on an art project. There was one space left at the table, and he just took that place and became part of the group. They all laughed.
It has been clinically proven that through petting, touching, and talking with dogs, patients’ health is improved. There are so many Mikey stories to prove this. One week, the physical therapist asked Mikey to visit a new resident who loved dogs. She had suffered a stroke and had difficulty using her right arm. Her speech was also affected. When Mikey entered her room, she was so excited that she seemed to forget about her infirmities. She petted Mikey with her right arm, and spoke to him with ease. The therapist was amazed.
One resident said about Mikey, “I love it when Mikey visits. He makes me remember things I haven’t thought about in years, like my poodle, my children when they were babies, my life long ago.” Another resident had difficulty remembering things, but asked every day if Mikey was coming. One man worked on jig-saw puzzles, and would have a new one completed each week to show Mikey and me. He kept Mikey’s photo by his bed.
One time we visited a new resident who eagerly reached out to Mikey with delight. She told me many tales from her youth, including a story about finding a small puppy in the woods, nursing it to health with a baby bottle and heating pad and finding out, when it matured, that it was really a fox. We later discovered that this resident normally did not socialize with anyone, but she had spent more than 30 minutes with Mikey and me. Isn’t it amazing how people can be reached through the love of animals?
Mikey was honored by Therapy Dogs International with their Outstanding Volunteer Award, and their Remarkable Volunteer award. He was a very special boy. Everybody loved him. So many people will miss him. We love you, Mikey.
Our heartfelt and deepest appreciation to all who knew Mikey, loved him, and cared for him, especially Dr. Jess Buttery and Clarkson Veterinary Hospital.
