Mame and Dan Bowser of Hilton Head Island have always included canine kids in their family. Sometimes the dogs sleep and the children say, “Hey, she’s not listening!” Ann replies, “Of course she is she is just resting her eyes.” This seems to be an acceptable answer.Īt night when Missy, Journey, and Ann sit on the couch, her heart is filled with thanks that she was chosen to share these dogs with the world! The dogs love to lie down beside the children while they read. Today, in addition to visiting Parris Island, Ann, Missy, and Journey also go to Bluffton Library for the Therapy Dog Reading Program. Ann believes she was approved to adopt Journey because the owner could see Ann’s “longing blue eyes.” Through a friend, Ann learned of a Golden in Tennessee who would no longer be bred and needed a forever home. The Marines are comforted by her unconditional love.Ī couple of years later, Missy needed a companion, and Ann needed a Golden Retriever. Firecrackers? Thunder? Gun fire? No problem! She is fearless.
She loves the Marines, and we are sure she would join their activities, if allowed. “Perhaps,” they said, “she belonged to a Marine who got deployed.” Today, as a member of Alliance of Therapy Dogs, she visits injured Marines at Parris Island each week. She could not find much about her background but did learn she was a surrender to the Beaufort County Animal Shelter before she came to Hilton Head Humane. On a visit to Hilton Head Humane on a cold and rainy February day, she discovered a one-year-old Beagle/Dachshund with longing brown eyes that said, “Choose me!” How could she resist? She kept the name the group had given her, Swiss Miss, but calls her Missy-a good Southern name. In 2015, Ann Cofield of Bluffton found herself “dogless” since she had recently lost her Golden Retriever to old age. Titles are fun to achieve, but most important, these dogs have been a part of our hearts and have enhanced our lives beyond measure. She earned many obedience titles and her Therapy Dog Excellent title after making over 200 visits. Princess Chloe of Carolina joined our family at the age of three when her humans divorced and could not keep her. CoCo became my first competition obedience dog and a therapy dog.
Our first rescued Doberman was from the Humane Association of Broward County (Florida). These amazing dogs are not our first rescues. She trains in agility at the competition level with my husband every week. She has earned her Community Canine and Therapy Dog titles (indicating she is an Advanced Canine Good Citizen and has made over 100 therapy dog visits). I said, “I want her!” Elke has been part of our family for about two and a half years. But as I sat on the concrete petting this young girl and being kissed by her, I found myself speaking out three words that I had not rehearsed or planned. My husband said he could drive her to Greensboro the following Monday. When I arrived, I found a beautiful young Doberman with lots of energy that needed to be channeled into positive activities. I called my husband and we arranged to meet this dog at the shelter. One Friday in July 2016, I received a call from the Beaufort County Animal Shelter asking if we could transport a young female Dobe. Over the past several years, my husband and I have transported seven Dobermans from shelters in Beaufort County to Doberman Rescue of the Triad where they have been placed in their forever homes. Our other rescued Doberman, Elke’s Summer Lightning (“Elke”) joined our “muttley crew” in July 2016. She completed almost 300 therapy dog visits to schools, assisted living homes, and military bases, where she impresses everyone with her sweet, affectionate nature. She has earned several American Kennel Club titles-BN, CD, RN, THDX-and can still perform competition level agility at the age of 13. She trained with us for obedience and agility and became a therapy dog with the national organization, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, in 2012. We adopted Mousse au Chocolat (“Mousse”) from Doberman Rescue of the Triad in Greensboro, North Carolina when she was about nine months old. In our case, someone else’s failure to properly train their dog became an opportunity to enhance our family.
When the dog is about nine to eleven months old and full of energy, the owner concludes he “can’t handle” the dog and surrenders her to the shelter to await an uncertain future. Have you ever wondered how young purebred dogs wind up in the animal shelter? In the case of my rescued Doberman pinschers, the owner surrendered them to the dog pound saying, “I can’t handle her.” Someone purchased a puppy from a breeder and never invested the time and energy to obedience train the puppy.