Feel Good Friday: A dose of pure puppy love

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Once a week, two special ladies make the winding walk through the halls of Ohio Living Swan Creek, off of Reynolds Road.

Bernadine Smigelski is one of the many residents who look forward to their visits with Abbie, the therapy dog.

‘’Every Tuesday, we wait for her so she can have her cookie. The biggest thrill is to see her come running thru the door,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve had dogs all my life. When people bring me presents, you can see. Dogs, dogs, dogs!”

Eleven years ago, fellow resident, Barbara Richards adopted Abbie after finding her wandering as a stray in the Old Orchard area. Richards says trainers quickly recognized that her pup had special qualities that would make her a wonderful therapy dog. Abbie passed all the tests with flying colors, and when Richards and her partner moved to Ohio Living Swan Creek four years ago, they offered up Abbie’s services. She says, since then, there have been countless moments that have proven just how much hope and happiness Abbie brings.

“You have to have a hard heart not to cry sometimes. Whether or not I feel up to it that particular day, we have to go because there are people depending upon her to be there,” Richards said.

If you have an idea for “Feel Food Friday with Sashem Brey,” click here to submit it.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please include the title when you click here to report it.

Copyright 2022 WTVG. All rights reserved.