Hetty Arrives at Rainbow Bridge

We had an exceptional dog come to Doggyspace at the Bridge this week.  Her name is Hetty.  She is a beloved therapy dog who belonged to Jessica Calvo, a Spanish teacher at Verona School District in New Jersey. 

Hetty is a yellow lab who managed to hold off the Bridge dementors and stay with her mom long past Hetty’s time.  She lived fourteen years until the evil angels gave her a neurological disorder which she could not defeat.  The disease led to seizures, and as they often do, that brought him to the Bridge. 
  
Hetty had a lot of reasons to resist the angels and stay with her mom.  Not only was she a vital therapy dog to Jessica, but she also provided the same service for the Veronica school district.  She was beloved by all, but especially by her mom.
Most labs are full of energy, prone to being overly exuberant and excitable, which can make them become a service dog problematic. Still, Jessica said that Hetty was an old soul who was naturally gentle and sweet.  Hetty served her humans by giving them lots of love and gratefully accepting their love. 

Jessica has been blind since birth.  When she was five, she told her mom that she was going to get a guide dog.  She was disappointed to find out that she had to be in high school to qualify for one.  When she turned 17, she was given an application for a guide dog who, when everything was processed, became Hetty.  

Hetty was a graduate of The Seeing High in Morristown, New Jersey.  She joined Jessica when she graduated from Clifton High School and Caldwell University.  Then Jessica joined the staff at Verona High School.

 As she aged, Hetty’s energy level dropped, and her mom decided to retire her as a guide dog.  But Hetty still wanted to serve, so Jessica spoke with the student assistance coordinator for the Verona School District, who had been considering getting a therapy dog for the district.  When the school year opened, Hetty had a new occupation.   
In her new role, Hetty comforted children and got them to open up about their lives or something that happened at school.  Her work did not require more than showing up and being herself, which she was good at.  Frustrated or nervous kids would come to the counselor's office, Hetty sat at their feet, and her inner serenity, and sweet goodness, calmed the child so they could return to school.  

One student was a six-year-old boy suffering from cerebral palsy.  He had trouble walking.  One day the child was struggling down the hallway when he saw Hetty in front of him.  He began to walk faster, then picked up Hetty’s leash, and started walking behind her with an assurance he had never shown before.  It is just one example of the work Hetty did with the students. 

Hetty didn't want to come to the Bridge because she knew that people wouldn’t need her here the way they did on the mortal side.  When she arrived, she was thrilled to feel healthy again, but since life on the mortal side is perfect, her thirst to help went would go unsated. 

I wanted Hetty to be happy, so I made her in charge of minion rehab.  Minions are souls who die, but their misdeeds on Earth stops them from being an angel.  They serve as our minions until they learn their lessons and earn Angel status.  Sometimes they need help along the way, and now they have Hetty to help them.


I am sure we will have fewer minions soon, and that is awesome