Meet Winston, a 106-pound gentle giant who loves bringing joy to people’s lives!
Winston didn’t have the easiest start to life. When Winston was just a puppy, his first owner unfortunately passed away. Winston was returned to his breeder in Colorado. The puppy was nervous and confused, but despite everything, he still remained sweet and kind.
Eventually, a man named Clifford Spohr decided to adopt Winston.
Spohr lives in Dallas, where he works as the principle bass emeritus with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Spohr went to Colorado to get Winston and brought him home with him.
When Spohr saw how calm and gentle Winston was, he decided to get Winston certified as a therapy dog.
Spohr’s first dog, Lulu, was also a therapy dog. Spohr often brought her to the Cove at C.C. Young nursing home, a home for people suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s. The residents always loved petting her!
Once Winston had gotten his therapy dog certification, Spohr began bringing him to the nursing home. All of the residents loved getting to pet and cuddle with the gigantic pup!
“He’s so docile,” Spohr said. “Boy, he just lets people touch him all over. It’s just really magical, I think.”
The residents always look forward to Winston’s monthly visit. One resident, Margaret Spearman, told Fox 4 News about how much meeting Winston meant to her.
“I think we were very fortunate to have gotten to see him,” Margaret said. “It was quite exciting.”
Spohr is so glad that he and Winston can bring a little joy to these nursing home residents.
“They’re not in their home anymore, they’re not having regular visits. So I feel like I’m doing something good there.”
Winston loves spending time with the nursing home residents too. The only payment he asks for in return is belly rubs!
“You’re such a good boy Winston,” Spohr told his beloved dog.
Therapy dogs like Winston do an incredible job at helping people who need a little extra love or are going through rough times. Throughout the years, there have been tons of stories about therapy dogs helping people. This includes the story of Seger, a kindhearted therapy dog who helps grieving families at a funeral home.
There’s also Colonel, a therapy dog who works at hospitals. In one remarkable story, Kernel helped a six-year-old boy named Caleb who had been involved in a horrific car accident. The car accident caused a traumatic brain injury, and Caleb’s parents weren’t sure if he would ever recover.
But with Kernel’s help, Caleb made an amazing recovery. He gained control over his hands again playing fetch with Kernel, and he gained mobility walking with Kernel. When Caleb got out of the hospital, he got his own Golden Retriever, Star!
Therapy dogs like Winston, Seger, and Kernel do an incredible job at helping people in need. If you want to learn more about Winston, check out the video below.
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