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Miracle
Miracle's life was a testament to the profound impact one creature can have on the lives of countless others. Born on October 24, 2013, she was destined for greatness, and her journey as a Therapy Dog would take her to places she never could have imagined.
As a young pup, Miracle exhibited a natural talent for comforting and connecting with people, often seeking out those who needed her affection the most. Her parents, who would become her loyal companions with her therapy work, recognized this special gift and nurtured it, laying the foundation for her future as a Certified Therapy Dog. As Miracle grew, her desire to help others only intensified and she began to sense that her purpose in life was to bring solace to those in need.
Her training as a Therapy Dog commenced, and she dove headfirst into the challenges and rewards that came with this noble work. With each passing day, Miracle's confidence and empathy grew, and she developed a unique ability to understand the emotional needs of those around her. Her certification as a Therapy Dog on June 28, 2017, marked the beginning of an incredible journey, one that would take her to hospitals, nursing homes, hospice facilities, schools and communities affected by tragedy, including Uvalde, Texas and Perry, Iowa. With over 2,900 hours of volunteering under her belt, Miracle had become a beacon of hope and comfort, and her legacy will continue to inspire and uplift others.
Despite her passing on December 11, 2024, Miracle's memory will live on, a reminder of the profound difference one life can make in the lives of others.
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Dashy
Born in May 2014, Dashy’s first 6 years were as a female breeder at an Amish puppy mill where she spent her life in a cage. As such, when she first came to us, she was physically underdeveloped and had to be assisted to walk and climb stairs. But true to her nature, she persevered and got stronger every day, to the point where she was going on multiple walks daily and running in the yard.
In addition to daily walks and outings, some of Dashy’s favorite activities included greeting visitors with a smile and an always wagging tail; training with her mom and classmates at the Southern Wisconsin Canine Therapy Dog Association… (much thanks to Scott and Tina for all they did to enrich the last few years of her life); supervising her pet parents as they worked in the garage and around the yard; and, most of all, naps in the big people bed with her mom and one or two of her cat cousins.
Dashy was the light of her pet parent’s lives, but she also impacted the lives of many other persons. She played an important role in the life of her good friend Phyllis, an elderly neighbor lady, whom she would visit weekly if not daily to sit on her lap and hear her stories. Phyllis’s was the first friend that Dashy sought out soon after coming to us from Lucky Star Rescue. Phyllis will miss Dashy very much.
During her training to be a therapy dog, Dashy had the opportunity to visit several nursing homes, the dementia & recovery ward at Stoughton hospital, and Rock County Juvenile Detention Center. Through these visits, Dashy helping patients to remember their youth and beloved pets, escape, if just for a moment, the everyday aches and pains of growing older, and, in the case of one juvenile detainee, learn that not all dogs are mean and to be feared, but can be loving.
After graduation in May 2023, Dashy got a regular gig with a Madison nursing home where she visited weekly before her untimely demise. Dashy developed a devoted following such that residents would greet her with a resounding chorus of “Dashy!” -- much like Norm on the TV show Cheers -- every time she visited. One resident particularly touched by Dashy, suffers from palsy but when Dashy was on her lap, the tremors would stop. Dashy was also about to begin visits to the Dane County Court house to assist victims before they have to testify.
So, it is with great sorrow that we say goodbye to our beloved “peanut”, but also with tremendous gratitude for how she touched us and others over her short life.
Dashy is survived by her mom, dad, and cat cousins Freddie and Belle.
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Henry
Henry was born on March 5, 2018. He arrived in our lives on March 7, 2021, when we agreed to watch him for a friend who was in the hospital. When my friend was released from the hospital, he asked us if we’d like to keep Henry. I immediately jumped at the opportunity. Our previous dog, Lucia, a German Shepherd, died in February 2020. I felt that Henry rescued me when he arrived, as I was still missing Lucia.
Henry settled in quickly and soon learned that morning breakfast included banana bites and Licky mats with peanut butter. Lunch usually meant an apple bite and some cheese, and if we had pizza at dinner, he was assured of a pepperoni bite or two. Spoiled? No, not Henry. He never begged but lay down patiently waiting for his goodies.
Since his weight ranged between 80-85 pounds, he had some joint issues, so we took him to Dunkin Dawgs K9 Swim in Janesville. At the outset, he wasn’t so sure of this deep puddle of water (imagine a Golden who didn’t like water). After the first 2 weeks, it became the highlight of his week.
He was always up for an adventure in the car, even if it meant just sitting in the car while I ran errands. The ride was even better if it included a stop where he got a treat. He recognized where he was when we got in the drive-thru lane at Starbucks and Culver’s. He joined us on a road trip to Washington, DC, to meet his cousin, Kepler, and roughhouse with him for 2 weeks. Kepler weighs 25 pounds, so Henry would always lie down to disadvantage himself and make things more equal between them.
In June of 2023, he earned his official Therapy Dog certification. Since then, he’s been a regular visitor at the Beloit Boys & Girls Club, the Amazon Warehouse in Beloit, NAMI in Janesville, VIP Services in Elkhorn, and many other places. Henry was one of the dogs from SWCTDA that went to the Madison Coroner’s Office to comfort the coroners after the school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in 2024. He also helped a high school student who did a research study on the Benefits of a Therapy Dog in school.
When providing therapy at Amazon and the Boys & Girls club, Henry’s specialty was to find a spot on the ground and lie down. He knew that people would come to him and love on him, so he didn’t need to spend his energy going to them. He did get up and go to people when he sensed they needed him.
Henry got along with the other Therapy Dogs in the group, but his special friends were Yeti, Nugget, and Skye. Nancy Bandsma, who lived next door to his former owner, sent me a note, “I will always remember him as Zeke’s pal who would leave his own yard to look into my patio door to see if Zeke could come out to play.”
Around the house, he was my constant shadow. Upstairs, downstairs, the bathroom – there was no solitude to be found. Outside meant either “Let’s play with a ball” or “Can we take a walk?” Henry preferred the cooler temperatures. If it was above 75, he felt it was too hot. However, no temperature would stop him from chasing a Chuck-It ball until he was ready to drop. I’ll miss his constant presence and having to worry about tripping over him, because once he was planted, he didn’t readily move.
A friend sent me a note that said, “How wonderful to have had the chance to love someone so much that it hurts this much to lose them”. He was such a great dog. Everyone he met loved him, and he loved them back. Despite being a Therapy Dog for just over 2 years, he made an impact on the people he met and the places he visited through the Southern Wisconsin Therapy Dog Association.
I hope he and all your dogs who’ve passed are running on rainbows, chasing balls, and doing all the things they loved while watching us here, still missing them and loving them from afar. He was only part of our lives for 4 years, but he’s left a hole in our hearts that won’t heal any time soon. Give all your dogs a special hug from Henry and extra love today.
Henry passed away on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.
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