Regional Area: West
Breed: Golden Retriever
Marlin makes everyone he meets feel LOVED, LOVED, LOVED!
The dedicated team of Marlin and Linda have been visiting Largo Main and Largo West, Gulfport and Clearwater libraries, Sabal Palms, Regal Palms and Academy of Holy Names, and love them all. The one common denominator is the SMILES Marlin brings to everyone, and Linda admits it’s beyond rewarding to share his sweetness with people of all ages.
One of their most memorable visits was at the Academy of Holy Names, where Marlin was surrounded by 10 children, all with their hands covering him, hugging him, laughing and screeching in his ears with excitement. Once the crowd cleared, and Linda saw his
face again, he was so happy, tail wagging, loving the sweet kids. Another time, they visited a hospice patient in her home, and when it was time to leave, she leaned down from her bed and he gave her two gentle kisses on the cheek: it was the perfect “see you later.”
At home, Marlin loves riding with his family on their golf cart. He hops right in and doesn’t move. He also LOVES to swim. Occasionally his parents take him to a dog bar, where he shows how much more he loves attention from people than the other dogs
who may try to play with him. He’s friendly to the dogs, but seeks out human hands for petting.
Because Marlin LOVES to kiss, Linda “makes” him kiss her cheek before he’s allowed to eat. But he’s a big baby during thunderstorms, and sits close to or on his parents for reassurance. In the morning, he wakes his parents up in bed by starting to whine for his
breakfast. He also lies on top of his mom until she gets up, but when she tries to get up, he still lies there with all of his weight — apparently not understanding that it’s easier to get up without him on top!
Now team Marlin and Linda are looking forward to making Marlin better known at each facility so that people remember him and ask for him by name.
Training/Certifications
Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs
Hearts of Gold Therapy Team
Watch our Hearts of Gold Therapy Teams in action: Hearts of Gold YouTube channel
To learn more about what to consider for joining our Hearts of Gold team, click here!
