Saturday Morning Message: The Comfort of Pets

From Beverly, sister of Adam: This is our dog, Moose, also known as the "Mooseman," "Mooser," and "who's-a-good-boy?" Moose is a 2-year-old male mastiff/terrier mix. He is black with white markings and weighs about 50 pounds. Moose showed us unbelievable depth when he comforted all of us in the days following my brother's death. He stayed with us and would come up to anyone who was crying or upset with his tail gently wagging and soft nuzzles. He would stay with the person until she was soothed. He knew us and wanted to give us his love whenever he could. My mom remarked, "My goodness, he's a natural therapy dog!" It is amazing how loving and special our pets are. We are blessed and so thankful to have Moose.

From Liz, mother of Dean: This is our son Dean and his beloved dog Bo. Bo is a Catahoula and is now 2 years old. After Dean was discharged from the Army, he was diagnosed with PTSD and depression. He acquired Bo and they went everywhere together. Bo was Dean’s registered support animal. Bo was there when Dean went to Heaven. Bo has been with my husband and I ever since. Bo now comforts us when we are sad and has been an incredible companion over the past 11 months. I’m not sure how we would have moved forward to this point without Bo. Bo has become my service dog and has aided my grieving and mourning and calms my anxiety. When I’m sad he comes and rests his head in my lap. When I’m happy he is right there to keep my spirits up.

From Winona, spouse of Clifford: I would like to introduce you to my little girl, Murray. My grandchildren found her in the woods a few weeks before my husband passed away Sept. 28, 2014. No one claimed her, so they saw fit to give her to me as a companion. Murray has saved me from many imaginary dangers, from toll booth operators to fast food cashiers. She makes me laugh and listens to me when I cry. My little adventurer is brave and willing to go almost anywhere with me! For the past two years she has looked forward to our kayaking adventures on our local small lakes. She takes her place at the bow of the kayak and stands guard, looking more like a hood ornament on a car. Looking forward to seeing other military family pets!

From Lydia Joy, mother of Carl: This is a picture of Walker and Scott. (Walker is white, Scott is blue) I've had them for about 18 months. While they don't talk, they chirp and sing all the time. They have been good company while I am working from home. Many times when I am on a video chat, people say "I hear birds."

From Charlene, mother of Devin: This is Foxy Brown Bigelow. She’s a 5-year-old Shiba Inu. She is a sweet, lovable, funny girl. She loves treats and attacks vacuums. She has helped our family with our grief, because she loves to play, get our attention, and keep us laughing even with the lockdown.

From Kelsey, mother of Michael: This is Cereal Killer Josephine. She crossed the rainbow bridge on my son's birthday this year. She was 19 years old and a great companion to my son. After he died, she would go into his room and sit where his bed had been. We loved her very much.

From Cheryl, mother of Jack: This is my friend, Raven. She was dumped off as a pup. I answered an ad from the person who picked her up. She is a sweetheart!

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