Famous Goldendoodle Visits Local Nursing Facility and Is Met With Pure Joy
If you're looking for something that will make your day brighter, this video of Brodie the Goldendoodle spreading joy at a nursing facility during a visit on Grandparent's Day is it! Brodie's dad posted the video on Sunday, September 8th and it made me tear up because the excitement and love are so genuine!
Brodie visited Memorial Manor in Pembroke Pines, Florida, to do what he does best as a therapy dog - he made people smile. Brodie's dad Cliff shared some of their visit's highlights and I dare you not to smile as you watch it. The music choice was spot on, too!
I started crying happy tears about 10 seconds into this! The grandparents all looked so happy to have a moment of pure joy dropped into their day, and Brodie seemed to love all of the attention he was getting. This Goldendoodle is a pro at his job! @Karen1701 agreed, "You are such a special man to share Brodie with the world. You have a big heart like Brodie does!" I agree with @trudytrula who shared, "Every facility should have dogs. Dogs make life better for all people!"
What Do Therapy Dogs Do?
Commenter @Evan wasn't wrong when he pointed out, "Brodie is absolutely the best therapy dog!" He really is an amazing dog! You might be surprised to learn that Brodie's job spreading joy to those who could use some isn't his only job. He's also an emotional support dog to his dad, Cliff. Cliff was diagnosed in his 20s with lichen planus, an autoimmune dermatological disorder. Stress is a main factor to the disorder's flare ups, and Cliff says that he hasn’t had any major flareups since Brodie came into his life. Cliff actually promotes himself as “Your local serotonin dealer” on his social media sites since Brodie is so good at his job!
You may be wondering what the difference is between a therapy dog and an emotional support dog is. Canine Journal breaks it down:
- A therapy dog is trained to provide comfort and affection to people in hospice, disaster areas, retirement homes, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and more.
- An emotional support animal (ESA) provides their owners with therapeutic benefits through companionship. They do not require training, but you may be screened by a mental health professional to see if you qualify.
While therapy dogs play a huge role in helping people who need it, the AKC explains they are different than service dogs, "Although they’re defined as comfort dogs and often used in therapeutic settings, therapy dogs aren’t considered service dogs under the ADA. Therefore, they don’t have the same legal right to access in public spaces. There are no uniform state or national rules that regulate and certify therapy dogs, and different organizations have different guidelines."
I'm glad that Brodie and other dogs like him are there to provide comfort and unconditional love to those in need, if only just for a few brief moments. I mean really, who can turn down a smile and hug from a dog?
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