Woody

Woody was first given his name by an older lady who would see this 2 year old black lab mix stray romping each day in the woods behind her house in Richmond, VA. She finally caught him, but soon discovered his tall, 75 pound gangly body and puppy energy was more than she could deal with. He had a penchant for standing on tables and jumping fences. She thought his fearlessness might make him a good narcotics dog and contacted LRR to take him and test him.

Our first look at him quickly dispelled any notion of this goofball being a drug dog, but he did have one of those outgoing personalities that would have made him a great comedian. He would sit with those hang glide ears a'floppin' and his feet also pointing outward a little with such a happy look on his face that he could bring anyone out of a bad mood just by looking at him. Still, he was a mix which can be hard for pure bred rescues to place, but fortunately, his new Mom and Dad soon came along.

While Mom was used to big dogs, Dad was more familiar with small dogs. As if to show him that big dogs can act like small dogs, Woody climbed into his soon to be new Daddy's lap, and that was all it took. Woody became such an integral part of the family that he was even in Mom and Dad's wedding, complete with tux! Woody was such a ham, his folks found that he enjoyed dressing up. We were not surprised to receive this Halloween photo of Woody as Superman which delighted neighbors and friends. This patience and love of humans soon found Woody's true calling... not as a drug dog, but as a therapy dog.

Woodster, as his Mom affectionately calls him, is one of the canine stars of Fairfax County (VA) Pets on Wheels. He and his Mom regularly visit area nursing homes, where Woody's happy-go-lucky personality brings many of the residents to life. While obedience training (and a little aging) has made him the perfect gentleman during his visits, he still has enough sparkle to raise the spirits of those residents who vie for his attention and affection. In fact, Woody and his Mom mentioned they had met another LRR alum, Clancy, another happy-go-lucky pup who found being a therapy dog was the perfect outlet for his warm temperament. It is very rewarding to see such labs go from being unwanted (and even abandoned) to being the focus of attention and love not only from their new adoptive families, but also from those nursing home and hospital residents who need the kind of unconditional love that only a canine can give. We expect Woody will be supplying us with many more fun and heartwarming stories and photos for years to come.