Therapy dog Moses enjoys retirement

Moses, up until the COVID-19 pandemic, was visiting schools, hospitals and nursing homes as a Pet Pals therapy dog.

Moses is now retired, but his owner Gayle Shaffer entered him in a "positively perfect picture" contest on The Animal Rescue Site. While Moses did not win, he was featured on the website's page.

Shaffer described Moses as a special boy who has no idea that he is a "D-O-G". He never went to any type of behavior training other than the Pet Pals performance test.

"Moses pretty much taught himself the expected behavior for a visitor in all of these settings. When I would put on his bow tie or scarf, he knew we were off for a visit and would happily hop in the car, ready to make someone's day a little bit more special," Shaffer said.

Moses and Shaffer started going to nursing homes, hospitals and schools in the Cape Girardeau area in 2014 for short visits to make residents', patients' and students' days a little better, Shaffer said.

"It was a short visit, but it would be kind to take their minds off themselves for a little while. Doctors and nurses, especially at the hospital, would sit down on the floor and love on him and say how they needed a visit," Shaffer said.

One of the most notable trips Shaffer remembers is when Moses went to Saint Francis Medical Center for visits on the cardiac and cancer floor. There was a patient who insisted she wanted Moses in the bed with her. Shaffer said the patient was hugging him and then started to cry. The patient said she was getting a leg amputated in the morning and just needed someone to love on for the night. Shaffer said interactions like that "made her days".

One of the last schools Moses visited was Jefferson Elementary. Shaffer said instead of going into classrooms, she and Moses took a blanket and sat in a hallway while small groups of students came and read them a book. She said it was funny because when the kids turned a page, Moses moved along with their motions. He was always attentive to them when they were reading to him.

Moses is retired now, but Shaffer said he still never meets a stranger. Moses loves to travel, go for boat rides and go on walks. He has two canine brothers and one feline brother, and Moses has accepted them all as part of his pack. He now lounges around at home, enjoying retirement.