Isabelle is about a foot and a half tall, she likes to lay on the floor where it is cool and her only attire is a brightly colored bandanna. Besides being a cute and well behaved terrier mix, Isabelle has something special about her — she likes to volunteer.

Isabelle recently walked into the Montevue Home, an assisted living complex owned and operated by Frederick County. Her black coat had been freshly brushed and she strode with confidence and poise as the door was opened for her. Dan Grose and Meg Klackner, her owners, were trailing not far behind, holding her red leash and letting her find her way into the first floor common room.

Grose and Klackner are the president and vice president, respectively, of Wags for Hope, a nonprofit organization that shares its pets for the benefit of others. The organization was started in 2006 by Gabe O’Neill and now has about 70 different teams of pets that visit hospitals, nursing homes, schools and assisted living facilities.

Isabelle was instantly greeted by three patients. Joan Carpenter is one of Isabelle’s biggest fans. She scooted her wheelchair forward to give the terrier a warm stroke on the back. “Everybody has fallen in love with Isabelle,” said Carpenter, who has been visited by the pooch for the past three years.

Isabelle positioned herself for a good pat. Whenever she sees someone who wants to pet her she walks up to them without fear and takes a seat at their feet, prepared to receive a scratch under the ear or a rub of the tummy.

Grose and Klackner inherited Isabelle from Meg’s mother five years ago. Klackner instantly knew she would be perfect for Wags for Hope. “She loves people, and she likes to be petted,” she said. And people like to pet Isabelle, too. Her coat is thick and silky. A few white hairs stream down the middle of her back. She embraces any human touch with affection and absorbs the love given by the patients. 

The trio then moved upstairs to start their rounds going door to door meeting patients. Most residents were elated to see the 9-year-old terrier walking through the halls. Barbara Moore hurried down the hallway to see the canine. “She’s a wonderful dog,” Moore said as she brought out a photo of Grose, Klackner and Isabelle. Grose and Klackner send out photos of the dog to all the residents so they can hang them on the boards in their room.

Wags for Hope serves all of Frederick County and some outlying areas like Mount Airy and Hagerstown. The organization does not limit itself purely to dogs. Some of its other friends from the animal kingdom include rabbits, cats, horses and, at one point, a parrot.

James Strohm has been dubbed Isabelle’s personal masseuse. Isabelle walked in and plopped down at Strohm’s feet as he began to rub her back. Strohm is one of the residents that has met some of the other pets from Wags for Hope. His favorite was the horse that came to visit with Isabelle. Strohm owned a horse farm and his room is filled with pictures of horses and battleships. A strange combination until Strohm talks about how he served during World War II as a gunner’s mate.

When Strohm sold his horse farm he and his wife moved into their daughter’s house, but then later moved to the assisted living facility together.

His wife was recently moved to a different care facility that can accommodate her diabetes better, but every week the couple, who have been married for 64 years this August, meet up for lunch.

Strohm doesn’t like to spend much time out of his room. He usually skips breakfast and doesn’t partake in the games at the facility, but when Isabelle is around his door is open. “I like her — I like Isabelle,” he said as his hands work under her fur.

Grose said that it’s not always about the dog when Isabelle comes to visit and they have built personal relationships with a dozen of the residents at Montevue. “The dog is a mechanism to get introduced ... personal contact is just as important (as meeting Isabelle),” Grose said. Some of the patients don’t have relatives come to visit often, so talking to Grose and Klackner is a treat.

Isabelle’s next stop was across the hall from Strohm. She walked into Djurdica Rebernik’s room and plopped down between her bed and chair, sprawling out her back legs. Rebernik is a small woman who knits dollies in her spare time. She gave one to Grose and Klackner as a present. She talked to Isabelle in a thick east European accent. Rebernik said she is from former Yugoslavia and moved to the United States on April 26, 1961 — yes, she still remembers the exact date.

Klackner and Rebernik catch up and Rebernik shows her pictures of the dolly she made for her daughter. All the while, Isabelle was on the floor taking in the cold of the tiles.

After a while Rebernik said good-bye to Isabelle, and the dog walked downstairs for a final round in the common room. Grose and Klackner assured Isabelle’s fans they will be back next week to brighten everyone’s day again.

According to the Center for Disease Control website, having a pet has many health benefits.  Those include:

o            Lower blood pressure

o            Lower cholesterol

o            Decreased feelings of loneliness

o            Increased socialization

o            Reduce stress 

www.cdc.gov

Be a Part of Wags for Hope 

To be a Wags for Hope volunteer, you and your pet must fulfill the following requirements:

1) Your pet must be at least 1 year old.

2) You must have lived with your pet for at least 6 months.

3) You must provide documentation that your pet's vaccinations are up to date.

4) You must attend an orientation seminar.

5) Your pet must pass the evaluation test to determine if he or she is suitable to visit a facility.

6) You and your pet may be required to become a Delta Pet Partner to participate in some programs.

Visit www.wagsforhope.org and click “Join Us” to get started