It all started with a 4-year-old golden retriever named Boo Radley.
Lynne Robinson rescued the 112-pound reddish dog in 2003 after answering a newspaper ad, and she quickly realized his gift for comforting people.
kAm“w6 EFC?65 @FE E@ 36 <:?5 2?5 86?E=6] w6 H2D E96 <:?5 @7 5@8 E92E H@F=5 =@@< J@F :? E96 6J6D 2?5 =@@< :?E@ J@FC D@F=[” #@3:?D@? D2:5] “(96? A6@A=6 H6C6 766=:?8 =@H[ 96 C2:D65 E96> FA] (96? A6@A=6 H6C6 ?6CG@FD[ 96 42=>65 E96> 5@H?]”k^Am
kAm#@3:?D@? DE2CE65 G:D:E:?8 A6@A=6 :? ?665 E@ “D92C6” q@@ #25=6J H:E9 E96>] %H@ J62CD =2E6C[ E96 C6E:C65 AF3=:4 D49@@= E62496C 7@F?565 E96 ?@?AC@7:E !p($ 7@C !6@A=6 H:E9 E96 8@2= @7 C64CF:E:?8 >@C6 G@=F?E66CD E@ 5@ D:>:=2C A6E E96C2AJ G:D:ED]k^Am
kAmu:7E66? J62CD =2E6C[ !p($ :D 2 E9C:G:?8 @C82?:K2E:@? E92E 92D ?62C=J e__ E96C2AJ E62>D E92E G:D:E a__ D:E6D 2== @G6C s6=2H2C6 2?5 :? A2CED @7 |2CJ=2?5[ !6??DJ=G2?:2 2?5 }6H y6CD6J] |@DE E62>D 4@?D:DE @7 5@8D 2?5 E96:C @H?6CD[ 3FE E96C6 2C6 2 76H 42ED 2?5 3F??:6D[ 2D H6==]k^Am
kAmpE 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 ?FCD:?8 9@>6D[ E96J 4966C FA A2E:6?ED H9@ 2C6 D25 @C =@?6=J] pE D49@@=D 2?5 =:3C2C:6D[ E96 5@8D =6?5 2 ;F58>6?E\7C66 62C E@ <:5D H9@ 2C6 =62C?:?8 9@H E@ C625 2=@F5] pE “56\DEC6DD” 6G6?ED @? 4@==686 42>AFD6D[ E62>D D9@H\FA 6? >2DD E@ AC@G:56 2 7F?[ 42=>:?8 5:DEC24E:@? 7@C DEF56?ED DEC6DD65 @FE @G6C 6I2>D]k^Am
kAm!p($ G@=F?E66CD 2=D@ G:D:E AC:D@?D[ 5CF8 EC62E>6?E 46?E6CD[ >6?E2= 962=E9 724:=:E:6D[ 4@CA@C2E:@?D 2?5 @E96C =@42E:@?D[ H:E9 A=2?D E@ DE2CE 2 AC@8C2> 7@C 4@>7@CE:?8 A6@A=6 2E 7F?6C2=D] %96 @C82?:K2E:@? 2=D@ 92D E96 !p($ qJ $A64:2= #6BF6DE :?:E:2E:G6]k^Am
kAm“p?J3@5J 42? 42== FD 2?5 2D< FD E@ G:D:E 2 =@G65 @?6[” #@3:?D@? 6IA=2:?65]k^Am
kAm%9@D6 :?E6C6DE65 :? G@=F?E66C:?8 7:CDE 8@ E9C@F89 46CE:7:42E:@? E6DE:?8 E@ >2<6 DFC6 E96 A6ED 92G6 E96 56>62?@C 2?5 @365:6?46 D<:==D ?66565] %62>D E92E A2DD E92E 8@ E9C@F89 2 EH@\52J EC2:?:?8 D6DD:@? E@ =62C? E96 :?D 2?5 @FED @7 A6E E96C2AJ] %9C@F89 :ED !p($ &?:G6CD:EJ AC@8C2>[ E96 @C82?:K2E:@? 2=D@ @776CD DA64:2=:K65 EC2:?:?8 7@C DA64:7:4 EJA6D @7 E96C2AJ]k^Am
kAm~?46 46CE:7:65[ E62>D 4@>>:E E@ 5@:?8 2E =62DE EH@ G:D:ED A6C >@?E9[ E9@F89 >2?J 5@ >@C6]k^Am
kAm“!6E E96C2AJ :D 2? 6=682?E=J D:>A=6 H2J E@ AC@G:56 E96C2AJ E@ A6@A=6[” #@3:?D@? D2:5] “|28:4 92AA6?D 3642FD6 @7 E92E 2?:>2=\9F>2? 3@?5]”k^Am
kAmp:=66? |FCC2J 2?5 96C 5@8D[ |6:D92 2?5 {F4J[ 92G6 366? G:D:E:?8 9@DA:E2=D[ 2DD:DE65 =:G:?8 724:=:E:6D 2?5 D49@@=D D:?46 a_`a] $96 C625 2? 2CE:4=6 23@FE !p($ 2?5 D@@? 3642>6 2 565:42E65 >6>36C @7 E96 @C82?:K2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“~?46 J@F’C6 :?[ J@F’C6 :?] *@F 86E E92E >28:4[” |FCC2J D2:5] “*@F’C6 G@=F?E66C:?8[ 3FE J@F’C6 86EE:?8 324< H2J >@C6]”k^Am
kAm$96 >256 :E 4=62C E92E E96 5@8D CF? E96 D9@H H96? E96J 8@ @? G:D:ED E@ 9@DA:E2=D @C 6=D6H96C6]k^Am
kAm“|6:D92 :D G6CJ :?EF:E:G6] $96 H:== D2J[ ‘(6’C6 8@:?8 @G6C 96C6[’” |FCC2J D2:5] “%96J ;FDE <?@H E92E A6CD@? ?665D 2 G:D:E]”k^Am
kAm$96 C642==65 @?6 G:D:E E@ 2 9@DA:E2= H96C6 ?FCD6D H2C?65 96C E92E @?6 6=56C=J H@>2? D96 H2D G:D:E:?8 H@F=5?’E E2=< E@ 2?J@?6] %92E 2== 492?865 @?46 |FCC2J 2?5 |6:D92 H2=<65 :?]k^Am
kAm“pD D@@? 2D D96 D2H E96 5@8[ D96 D2JD ‘$96’D 362FE:7F=[” |FCC2J C64@F?E65[ 255:?8 E92E E96 ?FCD6D H6C6 D9@4<65]k^Am
kAm%92E 766=:?8 ?6G6C DE@AD 36:?8 C6H2C5:?8[ |FCC2J D2:5]k^Am
kAm“*@F ;FDE E9:?< J@F’G6 >256 2 3C62<E9C@F89 H:E9 E92E A6CD@?[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm$96 86ED E92E D2>6 766=:?8 H96? D96 G:D:ED D49@@=D E@ =6E <:5D C625 E@ 96C 5@8D] (:E9 6249 G:D:E[ E96 <:5D’ 4@?7:56?46 3F:=5D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8C62E E@ D66 E96 AC@8C6DD E96J 92G6[” |FCC2J D2:5]k^Am
kAm#@3:?D@? E@=5 2 D:>:=2C DE@CJ 23@FE 2 h_\J62C\@=5 >2? H:E9 56>6?E:2 H9@ D96 H@C<D H:E9] %96 >2? :D EJA:42==J H:E95C2H? 3FE @A6?D FA E@ E96 5@8]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C E:>6[ D96 H2D G:D:E:?8 2 5CF8 EC62E>6?E 46?E6C H96? D96 H2D 2AAC@24965 3J 2 3FC=J >2? H:E9 E2EE@@D 2?5 A:6C4:?8D]k^Am
kAm“w6 A:4<D FA E9:D AFAAJ 2?5 96 D2JD[ ‘~9[ J@F’C6 DF49 2 8@@5 5@8[’” #@3:?D@? C642==65] “w6 D2:5 :E’D E96 @?=J E:>6 96 42? D9@H 9:D 766=:?8D]”k^Am
kAm#@3:?D@? C2? !p($ @FE @7 96C t=<E@?[ |5][ 9@>6 F?E:= a_`e[ H96? E96 @C82?:K2E:@? >@G65 :?E@ :ED @H? 9625BF2CE6CD 2E f_b s2HD@? sC:G6 :? E96 s6=2H2C6 x?5FDEC:2= !2C< @77 $@FE9 r92A6= $EC66E] !p($[ H9:49 46=63C2E65 :ED `dE9 2??:G6CD2CJ H:E9 2 A2CEJ =2DE H66<[ 92D `` 6>A=@J66D[ A=FD #@3:?D@? 2D 2? F?A2:5 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C]k^Am
kAm%96 @C82?:K2E:@? :D DFAA@CE65 >@DE=J 3J 7F?5C2:D:?8 6G6?ED 2?5 :?5:G:5F2= 5@?2E:@?D] x? 255:E:@?[ G@=F?E66CD A2J 5F6D[ 2?5 D:E6D E92E C646:G6 G:D:ED A2J 2 766 E@ 96=A DFDE2:? E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm#@3:?D@? D2:5 E96 @C82?:K2E:@? A=2?D E@ <66A E@ :ED 4FCC6?E 86@8C2A9:42= “A2HAC:?E” 3FE 36=:6G6D E96C6 :D DE:== C@@> E@ 6IA2?5 H:E9:? E9@D6 2C62D[ 7:?5:?8 >@C6 D:E6D E@ G:D:E 2?5 56G6=@A:?8 5:776C6?E AC@8C2>D] !p($ 5@6D?’E 2AAC@249 A@DD:3=6 D:E6D 3FE :?DE625 :?G:E6D 9@DA:E2=D[ D49@@=D[ 6E4] E@ 4@?E24E E96 @C82?:K2E:@? E@ D66 :7 E96J 2C6 2 8@@5 7:E]k^Am
kAmr=2C:46 #:E49:6[ 5:C64E@C @7 6G6?ED 2?5 @A6C2E:@?D 7@C !p($[ ?@E65 E92E A6E E96C2AJ :D 364@>:?8 >F49 >@C6 2446AE65] u@C :?DE2?46[ 9@DA:E2=D E92E @?46 E@=5 G@=F?E66CD E@ DE66C 4=62C @7 E96:C 6>6C86?4J C@@>D[ 2C6 ?@H FC8:?8 G@=F?E66CD E@ 4@>6 :?E@ E96 t]#] E@ 96=A 4@>7@CE A2E:6?ED 2?5 EC2F>2 E62>D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2? 2>2K:?8 @C82?:K2E:@?[” D2:5 #:E49:6[ H9@ 92D H@C<65 7@C !p($ 7@C 7:G6 J62CD] “~FC G@=F?E66CD 2?5 @FC A6ED 2C6 F?=:<6 2?J x’G6 H@C<65 H:E9] %96J’C6 D@ 4@>A2DD:@?2E6[ 2?5 H2E49:?8 E96:C :>A24E 92D 366? 2 ;@J]”k^Am
Post a comment as anonymous
Report
Watch this discussion.
(1) comment
As a second-semester college student, the stress of classes and exams is overwhelming. It is definitely a change from high school, at least for me. Once a month my university will host a free event with a few service dogs and whoever wants to come out and de-stress is welcome to. I have gone quite a few times and it is extremely helpful. I strongly agree with this method of therapy and I think that it allows many people to destress without the pressure of a human therapist. In some situations, I think that a human may be the ideal kind of therapist; however, there are some people that struggle to talk to other human beings and are more willing to open up to animals.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
No links. Comments containing links to outside websites will be deleted.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.