OGDENSBURG
– Each month for the past nine years people residing at United Helpers
RiverLedge Campus have been visited by a special guest.
However,
unlike their friends and family who are welcome to visit whenever they like,
this guest doesn’t sit down for a chat, rather she walks in their rooms with
her tail wagging simply looking for a few pats of affection.
Shirley
Cox, an activities aide at RiverLedge said she’s been bringing Midnight for
visits “at least once a month” since she was eight weeks old.
“Now
she’s nine,” Ms. Cox said, adding Midnight looks forward to the visits almost
as much as the people living there.
“Everyone
loves animals and they miss their pets,” she said, adding a visit from Midnight
brightens up the day of even the most grizzled individual.
“Everyone
just loves her,” Ms. Cox said. “Even the residents who might normally be down
in the dumps light up when she walks in the room.”
Activities
Director Larry Worden said there are a couple people who bring in their pets for
visits on a regular basis, noting those visits are often the highlight of
whatever day the come.
Mr.
Worden, who previously served in the same capacity at United Helpers Maplewood
Campus in Canton,
recalled one dog that was frequently brought in to visit people there.
“He
would come in and stop at all of the rooms, but then he would round the corner
and dart down the hall, skipping four or five,” he said, noting at the end of
that particular hall was a woman who had a refrigerator in her room.
“She
would always give him a piece of meat when he came to visit,” Mr. Worden said.
While
people may not be able to have pets of their own, Mr. Worden said their friends
and family are welcome to bring in their own dogs for a visit.
“We
just ask that they bring their license and a copy of their shot records,” he
said.
