Have you ever fallen in love at first sight?
That’s how it was for our dog Toby and I. Christopher, my husband, showed me Toby’s picture on the NASAP adoption website, and I saw this big happy face, gorgeous brown eyes and the biggest pink tongue I had ever seen, hanging out the right side of the dog’s mouth. It was love at first sight.
We applied for the adoption of Toby and were delighted to welcome Toby into our family. The first six months with Toby, who was five when we adopted him from a local rescue organization, were almost perfect. Shortly thereafter, this seemingly perfect pet turned into quite the incorrigible dog breaking toilet tank lids, turning water taps on and routinely emptying closets and rearranging the furniture.
Getting Toby a job, a purpose helped us rechanneled his energy and put it to good use, spreading kindness and joy wherever he went, including the hospital where he volunteered for 4 ½ years as a pet assisted therapy dog. Toby became a teacher for us, teaching us about unconditional love, patience, persistence, not being a perfectionist and the importance of trusting your pet. Magic happened when we found Toby a job, a purpose, and worked with him to be the dog he needed to be instead of the dog I wanted him to be.
His story inspired me to write about his volunteer work which was chronicled in Chicken Soup for the Soul- what I learned from a dog. I then wrote On Toby’s Terms, (Bettie Youngs Books, 2010) which is currently in development to be a major motion picture. And, his new children’s book Toby The Pet Therapy Dog & His Hospital Friends, is the first in a series of children’s books .
This rescue dog who seemed to do everything possible to get returned to the shelter, had me at Woof!
Charmaine Hammond, author On Toby’s Terms
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