Page 6 - Publishing Inspiration Christmas Card 2023

Dr. Bo
(Part 2)
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Gary had seen how the patients at the nursing home responded to the visit
from his little dog, Bo. Since the director told him that dogs weren’t allowed, he
decided to call the owner and share the effect the little dog had. But when he called,
the secretary wouldn’t let him speak to the owner. So he left a detailed message with
her, doubting anything would come of it.
A couple of days later, as he was finishing breakfast, there was a knock at his
door. Gary opened it, and to his surprise, there stood the owner of the nursing home.
He had traveled more than a hundred miles to check out the story he had heard of the
little dog. Bo, always friendly and tail-wagging, went to greet the man.
“Is this the little dog?” the nursing home owner asked.
Gary nodded. “If I lock him up, he’ll find a way to escape and sneak over
there.”
“Well,” the man replied, “let’s see what he does.”
Gary quickly called into work that he’d be late. Then he opened the door for
Bo. Bo trotted out and headed toward the nursing home. It was all the two men could
do to keep up. When Bo got to the back gate leading into the courtyard, he stood on
his back paws, and, stretching as far as he could, lifted the latch with a front paw.
“Pretty smart,” the nursing home owner said.
Bo trotted to the back door, scratched on it, and whimpered. Gary assumed
residents had been letting Bo in, but this time, the nursing home director opened the
door. Seeing Gary and Bo, she said, “I thought I told you it was against the rules to. .
.” Suddenly, she saw the nursing home owner and stopped.
“Open the door, Mary,” he said.
“Yes, sir,” she replied and swung the door open wide.
Bo trotted in as if it were his personal domain and went to the first door. A
lady in a wheelchair was sitting there. She smiled when she saw Bo. “Fluffers, you
came to visit?”
“Fluffers?” Gary wondered. He soon learned that almost half of the residents
called Bo by the name of a childhood dog. Probably to them, he personified a
wonderful memory.
Bo jumped on the lady’s lap and stayed for a time as the lady petted him while
he nuzzled her hand. After a while, he jumped down to go to the next room. “You
come back, now,” the lady said.

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