by Susan Bemus, Delta Society Pet Partner^® (Flagstaff, AZ)

When I adopted Elsie, my Cardigan Welsh Corgi, she was 9 years old and had been discarded by her previous owners due to her age. She was overweight and wheezed when she trotted; her teeth were broken and rotten; her eyes were infected and weeping. As we got to know her, we could tell that she had suffered abuse as well as neglect.

Despite her problems, Elsie showed early on that she had plenty of love and affection to give to people. At age 11, she earned her Canine Good Citizen certificate and then went on to become registered as a Delta Pet Partner. She enjoyed doing Pet Partner visits to elementary school special needs classes, but her special loves were the elderly ladies at the assisted-living facility. When I introduced Elsie, I'd remind them that she was 94 years old in "people years," and still going strong! Elsie's elderly friends told me they could really identify with a dog who'd been thrown away because she was too old, and then turned out to still have so much to offer.

I knew when I adopted an older dog that I might not have her with me for long. Despite my prayers for more time with my sweet girl, a fast-growing tumor took her from us in November of 2000. Elsie and I had nearly 5 years together. I still work with our other Pet Partner, Tara, and we're training our "new kids," Canu and Danni, to pass their Delta Society test, but no other dog will ever take Elsie's place in my heart.

During her career as a therapy dog, Elsie didn't produce any miracles. She didn't wake any patients from comas. No one's first words or first steps were sparked by Elsie's presence. She just gave a lot of love to a lot of people who miss her very much.