As mentioned on our website, I was recently able to participate in a fund-raising event for Compass Project to build a wooden boat. This community event hosted both families and other organizations who worked together to build 20 wooden rowing skiffs in less than three days.
Hi all,
I recently submitted the following tribute in memory of Sandy to Therapy Dogs Inc. where Sandy was registered as a pet therapy dog, Mercy Hospital where we worked as a Pet Therapy team, and to the local shelter where we adopted he and Samantha 3 year ago (along with getting Maxie, our best decision ever!). I hope it captures even a small part of what he brought to so many.
Best, Carla
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My husband and I decided to get another dog about a year after our first dog, a golden retriever named Maxie, died at the age of almost 16. We weren‘t looking for 2 dogs and had never even considered that – until Tim (my husband) found Sandy and Samantha at the Humane Society in Augusta near our home in Maine. Sandy, a male golden retriever mix, was 8 at the time; and Samantha, a Husky mix, was 6. These 2 special dogs had been together since Samantha was born, and they had been owner surrendered as a pair. The kind people at the shelter recognized their dependence on each other, so they kept them for months trying to place them together in a loving home. When we found them they had almost given up and had finally started posting them separately.
We were immediately drawn to them on the shelter's website, and even after our first visit to the shelter when Samantha (the Husky) “pulled” me down the hill on my stomach trying to get to Tim and Sandy who had wandered a bit away from us – it was still love at first sight. That was in May 2004, and right from the start it was easy to see the bond between Sandy and Samantha. Sandy (I often called him “Sandman”) was very much the responsible older brother who always looked after Samantha no matter what kind of mischief she got herself into. Like a leash-free time Samantha darted across a road and Sandy followed only to be hit by a passenger truck (fortunately he made a full recovery from that). Then there was the porcupine(s?) in Nova Scotia, which Samantha chased and grabbed by the tail in her playful way (ouch), and Sandy who intervened and led them back to us – both of them full of “thousands of quills” as the vet who removed them later commented.
But they shared lots of wonderful adventures too. Long walks on the beach with lots of time to play in the waves and sniff the rocks (that was Sandy‘s favorite), chewing on rawhide bones, lots of rides in the car – sometimes to new places in other states and Canada, hikes along trails and snowshoeing near Acadia National Park, even rides on the Casco Bay ferry to a favorite island beach. Sandy lived all these moments to the fullest, and sometimes his tongue hung out so far we thought he‘d trip over it. He was truly the picture of a happy dog, and he seemed to be experiencing the “puppyhood” that perhaps he didn‘t find the first time around.
But I think his finest moments were the last few months of his life, when he became a pet therapy dog. He passed his aptitude tests at the nursing home with ease. His love of people showed and he was always happy to sit or stand by someone and be petted, hugged or touched as long as they wanted. He was never daunted by noisy equipment or tight quarters, but would navigate any narrow space to reach the person in the bed or chair. After passing similar behavoiral tests at the hospital, he began his new “career” at Mercy Hospital in Portland with me as his partner, but of course all I really did was hold the leash as he did all the wonderful work bringing smiles and laughter to the patients. He even had his own photo ID badge just like any other staff or volunteer. 
As with most therapy dogs, there are plenty of heartwarming stories of the difference he seemed to make among everyone he met: the lady at the nursing home who would hardly talk to anyone, but who suddenly had lots to say when Sandy approached her; the elderly gentleman who smiled constantly as he petted Sandy during his chemo treatment and said what a handsome boy he was; and the nurses and other staff who came up to give him a hug and get a little pet therapy of their own. Even after only 2 or 3 visits at Mercy, it was common to walk by a nurse‘s station and hear someone say “Sandy‘s here!” with joy in their voice. What a joy that was for me to witness and share.
Unfortunately Sandy‘s new career was cut short. After only 2 months he developed an aggressive form of prostate cancer which took him from us shortly thereafter. But his love of people, life, and his undying determination allowed him to continue his important work at Mercy until just before his passing. His last visit there was one of our best, and we shared lots of laughter that day with patients, staff and family members alike. It was a very good day. What a wonderful legacy Sandy leaves.
And now it seems his “sister” Samantha may follow in his footsteps. Before Sandy‘s passing, Samantha often seemed more interested in her own pursuits than in people. But lately we‘ve seen changes in her as she‘s become more cuddly, and when she walks leash-free on our local beach, she now often approaches people in a way she never did before in a curious and outreaching way. It‘s almost as if Sandy has passed the torch to her. So after some time goes by, I look forward to testing her for therapy work as well. If she seems to enjoy it and does well, then perhaps she can carry on the work that Sandy started. I can‘t think of a more wonderful tribute to his memory.
In loving memory of Sandy “the Sandman”
Carla
South Portland, Maine
