Beautiful Bertha
This is an article I had written for Speak, the newsletter of Canine Therapy Corps.
http://www.caninetherapycorps.org/
I consider myself a dog lover. I’m happy when in the presence of a canine companion. However, I have a confession. I haven’t been fond of bulldogs. Their appearance can make me apprehensive. The overlapping lower jaw resembles a scowl, and the protruding teeth could give the impression of fierceness. I realize now, though, that my opinion must change. On my very first evening as a volunteer with the Canine Therapy Corps at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, I met Bertha, an English Bulldog I found to be beautiful. Oh it’s true, she does have the characteristic facial features I had thought to be off-putting, as well a chubby, awkward stance. But Bertha has other, far more important, characteristics that make her beautiful.
Bertha was matched with eight year old “David” for the session. She dutifully followed his commands to “front” (come), stay, and, after coaxing, even to lie down. She waited eagerly as David struggled to grasp the treat she had earned. A spinal cord injury made it difficult for him to use his hands. David did not seem to mind the effort he needed to exert to reward Bertha. His eyes sparkled and he smiled broadly, making lighthearted quips as we discovered that the slimy coating on his fingers from sloppy dog kisses and salivating attempts to retrieve her prize actually helped the treat stay in David’s fingers so he could feed her. They were a delightful pair.
As I thought about how much I enjoyed Bertha, and reflected on how I had misjudged her breed, I reflected upon on how unfortunate it is that we often make mistakes by looking at the outward appearance and not at the heart.
Unlike this human who has made judgments on external factors, Bertha was not deterred by physical limitation, but demonstrated unconditional acceptance. That is the valuable lesson I learned from beautiful Bertha.
http://www.caninetherapycorps.org/
I consider myself a dog lover. I’m happy when in the presence of a canine companion. However, I have a confession. I haven’t been fond of bulldogs. Their appearance can make me apprehensive. The overlapping lower jaw resembles a scowl, and the protruding teeth could give the impression of fierceness. I realize now, though, that my opinion must change. On my very first evening as a volunteer with the Canine Therapy Corps at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, I met Bertha, an English Bulldog I found to be beautiful. Oh it’s true, she does have the characteristic facial features I had thought to be off-putting, as well a chubby, awkward stance. But Bertha has other, far more important, characteristics that make her beautiful.
Bertha was matched with eight year old “David” for the session. She dutifully followed his commands to “front” (come), stay, and, after coaxing, even to lie down. She waited eagerly as David struggled to grasp the treat she had earned. A spinal cord injury made it difficult for him to use his hands. David did not seem to mind the effort he needed to exert to reward Bertha. His eyes sparkled and he smiled broadly, making lighthearted quips as we discovered that the slimy coating on his fingers from sloppy dog kisses and salivating attempts to retrieve her prize actually helped the treat stay in David’s fingers so he could feed her. They were a delightful pair.
As I thought about how much I enjoyed Bertha, and reflected on how I had misjudged her breed, I reflected upon on how unfortunate it is that we often make mistakes by looking at the outward appearance and not at the heart.
Unlike this human who has made judgments on external factors, Bertha was not deterred by physical limitation, but demonstrated unconditional acceptance. That is the valuable lesson I learned from beautiful Bertha.
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