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- Jaynata Haldar enjoys sitting with Rusty. “It’s really amazing how much happiness (Rusty) brings and what a difference he can make in residents’ lives,” says Courtney Adams, Trinity Place administrator.
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- With a gentle nuzzle and the wag of a tail, Rusty creates a sense of normalcy and helps make Trinity Place feel like a home rather than an institution. Audine Page, a resident at Trinity Place, pets Rusty.
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- Increasingly, science backs up the idea that dogs make us feel better. Interacting with dogs can help reduce stress, according to research from Kean University School of Nursing in Atlanta.
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- “He’s a sweetheart,” says resident Sarah Blalock. “(Rusty) helps us. He makes me laugh.”
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- “He’s a sweetheart,” says resident Sarah Blalock. “(Rusty) helps us. He makes me laugh.”
In many ELCA congregations, the blessing of animals is celebrated on Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, or on a Sunday near that date. In honor of this day, we’re highlighting the blessings Rusty the dog brings to everyone he meets. The comfort dog brings cheer to seniors at Trinity Place in Albemarle, N.C., one of Lutheran Services Carolina’s homes for seniors.
