This Therapy Dog is Boston Strong and So Much More!

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120 – April, 2023

By Amy Fernandez

The presence of a dog is guaranteed to spice up any occasion. At least here in New York, it’s not uncommon to encounter them on the subway or in the supermarket. Even in places where they are officially not permitted, a contraband dog is a welcome surprise. Of course, a few breeds tend to trigger a real avalanche of public adoration, Golden Retrievers for instance. That combination of a sweet nature and the looks of a big old teddy bear–well, it’s an irresistible combination. Plus, the breed is an ideal fit for so many situations.

That’s exactly what Massachusetts native Richard Powers discovered when he purchased Spencer back in 2009. He was no novice to the breed and this acquisition was prompted by the recent death of Mandy. Mandy’s lifelong pack mate, Misty, was inconsolable, and that is not at all uncommon. Dogs grieve like the rest of us and when they lose their longstanding dog friend no amount of human companionship will fill that gap. The Powers family really wasn’t considering another Golden but they also became increasingly frantic about Misty’s inconsolable grief.

The arrival of Spencer solved that problem immediately. As Powers watched the bond develop between his two Goldens, he also began noticing something else about Spencer. He was really perceptive. Goldens have been bred for myriad traits, which have made the breed such a standout in so many dog sports. But he really wasn’t interested in that; then he discovered therapy work. Admitting that he had never heard of it, he nonetheless knew that Spencer was born for this job as he stated for the New York Times recently. “I didn’t realize therapy dog was a thing and I thought this dog is too good not to share.”

Click here to read the complete article
120 – April, 2023

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Posted by AnthonyA on Apr 11 2023. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.