Cody, a golden doodle rescued by Golden Retriever Rescue of Mid Florida, Inc., found his forever home with my husband, Mark and me soon after we had lost our beloved golden, Luke. It seemed like karma when Cody, seemed to choose us to be his forever family.
Mark and I had decided to defer any decision about adopting another dog because Mark was battling cancer. Cody evidently felt we were wrong and desperately needed him in our lives, because we soon found that he had just become a permanent part of the family and an unexpected life support for both of us through difficult times. Mark fell head over heels with this sweet boy the moment they met and Cody delivered the unconditional love that only a dog could give while we struggled through health issues we were going through and still faced in the future.
Who adopted who? Who knows and who cares. Cody became Mark’s constant companion during his battle with cancer and always knew when he needed more attention. Mark, Cody and I would all travel to the Infusion Center and Cody, loving his role as a Hearts of Gold therapy dog, would visit everyone there, offering support and lifting their spirits.
When Mark lost his battle, it was a huge loss for both Cody and me. Cody and I supported each other during those dark times. Cody helped me heal and eased me back into the “real” world through therapy work. As a therapy team, Cody and I were able to help others grieving the loss of a loved one at Soaring Spirits Camp Widow convention on a personal level. With his magical personality and loving demeanor, he cuddles his way into everyone’s heart.
At a memory care center, all the residents were excited to meet Cody except for one woman. We approached the woman and sat next to her hoping she would interact with us. After a few minutes, the woman reached for the leash and I handed it to her. The woman talked to Cody and put her head on his head. She used to raise Labrador Retrievers and seeing Cody seemed to bring her back to a happy place. Cody has been a great inspiration to me over the years and loves spreading joy to others during his therapy visits.
