Size doesn't matter

• Certification Tag

Maddy with her certification tag for being a therapy dog. Owner Ashley Bemis said that, due to her size (she weighs around six pounds), the tag is too big for her to wear.
• Test

Maddy during her certification test, in which she was required to sit for a certain period of time.
• Lifting spirits

Maddy lifting the spirits of a patient at the Ellsworth Care Center.

Talk about it

Research shows therapy dogs have the ability to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, ease depression and improve the quality of life, among other factors.

That’s for the patient. How about owning one?

“It’s been very rewarding,” said Ashley Bemis, who owns “Maddy,” a Chihuahua/Papillon dog who officially became certified last July. “It makes your day when their eyes light up when we walk in.”

Bemis and husband Ryan, who live north of Bay City, bought Maddy nearly three years ago when she was only seven-weeks-old. Bemis explained that, previously, she wasn’t a big fan of Chihuahuas until she saw a picture of Maddy. Ryan then surprised her on a work break, holding the pound-and-a-half dog as an anniversary gift.

The couple then talked to some friends, who convinced them Maddy could make a good therapy dog.

“We didn’t get her for therapy; it just worked out that way,” she said.

For more please read the April 21 print version of the Herald.

Tags: local news, bay city, therapy dog, news