Isabelle Cindy Chaffee - Barton, VT and Felicia Welton - Winooski,VT
T
his is the story of a Black Lab / Golden Retriever cross named Isabelle. When my husband and I lost our Doberman of 10 years, we were devastated. We told ourselves that we would not have any more dogs. But a house is not a home without a dog, and our house felt very lonely after about 6 months. I began to look for a dog online. Every time I did, he would catch me and remind me “No mor e d og s ”. The n e ve r y once in a while, a funny thing would happen, I would catch him looking. I was an evening nurse in a long-t er m care facility and was often home around 1:00 am. One mor ning I arrived home t o h ave my husband greet me. I immediately felt that something was wrong. When he told me to sit down, I knew that it had to be something bad. Then, he told me about a dog, this dog was Isabelle. The elderly people who owned her stopped taking care of her. Their neighbors stepped in and arranged for Isabelle to have a new home, ours. Not only was I relieved, but I was also over the moon. The next day, we went to the mall and we were greeted by a sweet dog pulling on the end of the woman’s lead trying to get to us. Our lives were never the same. Isabelle was a medium-sized dog with a soft black coat. She had a spring in her step when went out on walks. She would keep her head up, tail out and prance 54 4 Legs & a Tail
when we went walking in the neighborhood as to say, ‘Here I am, come and pet me.” Her most remarkable feature, however, was her kind brown eyes. Those eyes could melt the strongest of hearts. I knew Isabelle would make a perfect therapy dog. She had had a warm temperament that could provide love and comfort for those people in need. When I had her certified with Therapy Dogs of Vermont, she passed with flying colors. To begin her Therapy Dog duties, we visited several nursing homes. When my father was admitted to the ICU, I didn’t hesitate to bring her along with me to see him. The staff loved her so much that they gave Isabelle a volunteer badge. While I was a nurse manager at a long-term care facility, I noticed ot her ad ministrative st af f brought their dogs to work. When I asked if it was OK to bring Isabelle to work with me, the answer was “sure, if she is a kind dog.” I assured them she was, and everyone immediately fell in love with her. I often would leave my office and return to find Isabelle had been hijacked by other administrative staff who would take her into their offices for a visit. Some purchased a bed and water bowls for her to use. It certainly took Isabelle to care for a village. Isabelle was not only loved by the staff but by the residents too. She would sit with the dying patients, often without Fall 2021
