JJ's Journey
A Story of Heroes and Heart
Tracy Calhoun
- Tracy
- Calhoun,
- a
- longtime
- nurse,
- shares
- the
- heart-melting
- story
- of
- working
- alongside
- JJ,
- the
- Therapy
- Dog,
- the
- brightest
- and
- most
- intuitive
- dog
- Tracy
- has
- ever
- trained
- in
- this
- memoir
- loaded
- with
- over
- 60
- color
- photos
- of
- our
- canine
- hero
- and
- pals.
- When
- not
- mooching
- dog
- treats,
- JJ
- is
- dedicated
- to
- helping
- humans
- cope
- with
- tragedy
- and
- loss
- through
- love
- and
- hugs.Tracy
- Calhoun,
- a
- nurse
- on
- staff
- at
- Samaritan
- Evergreen
- Hospice
- House
- in
- Oregon,
- paused
- at
- the
- bedside
- of
- an
- elderly
- patient
- in
- a
- coma.
- The
- woman
- had
- no
- family
- or
- friends,
- but
- the
- hospice
- team
- had
- learned
- she
- liked
- dogs,
- so
- Tracy
- put
- her
- Golden
- Retriever,
- JJ,
- a
- staff
- “therapist,”
- on
- the
- woman’s
- bed.
- JJ
- snuggled
- up,
- nuzzled
- a
- motionless
- hand,
- and
- then
- settled
- in,
- letting
- her
- body
- warmth
- cuddle
- and
- comfort
- the
- patient
- in
- her
- final
- hours.
- The
- woman,
- who
- had
- been
- unresponsive
- for
- days,
- then
- performed
- her
- final,
- intentional
- act.
- She
- stroked
- JJ’s
- head.Tracy
- recorded
- the
- intimate
- moment
- on
- her
- phone,
- then
- uploaded
- it
- to
- Facebook
- where
- she
- was
- keeping
- a
- modest
- account
- for
- friends,
- family,
- and
- community
- members
- who
- knew
- her
- and
- JJ.
- In
- August
- 2015,
- that
- video
- went
- viral,
- and
- was
- rapidly
- seen
- by
- tens
- of
- millions
- of
- viewers
- worldwide.
- To
- Tracy,
- it
- was
- a
- turning
- point
- in
- her
- mission
- to
- explain
- to
- a
- wider
- audience
- the
- joy
- that
- therapy
- dogs
- provide,
- and
- to
- do
- it
- with
- humor
- and
- canine
- chaos,
- as
- only
- a
- dog
- obsessed
- with
- bacon,
- puppies,
- and
- swimming
- can.Along
- the
- way,
- Tracy’s
- own
- story
- has
- grown
- and
- changed
- through
- her
- love
- of
- animals,
- and
- she’s
- found,
- in
- difficult
- times,
- she
- has
- needed
- the
- same
- comfort
- her
- pups
- offer
- to
- patients—for
- herself.“These
- stories
- of
- an
- unforgettable
- and
- deeply
- intuitive
- Golden
- Retriever
- named
- JJ,
- as
- told
- by
- her
- fabulous
- handler
- Tracy,
- are
- shared
- with
- humor
- and
- heart.
- Many
- wonderful
- moments
- happen
- when
- working
- with
- therapy
- dogs
- and
- reading
- about
- JJ’s
- magic
- is
- an
- extraordinarily
- moving
- experience.”
- —
- Donna
- Frindt,
- Executive
- Director,
- Project
- Canine“An
- emotionally
- satisfying
- and
- entertaining
- collection
- of
- tales
- not
- only
- between
- a
- dog
- and
- her
- human,
- but
- between
- this
- remarkable
- soul
- in
- a
- Golden
- Retriever
- suit
- and
- dozens
- of
- people
- in
- crisis—from
- hospice
- care
- to
- school
- shootings.”
- —Janet
- Velanovsky
- ,
- Owner,
- Kaizen
- Pet
- Training
- &
- Behavior“An
- inspiring
- memoir,
- JJ’s
- Journey
- illustrates
- the
- medical
- and
- spiritual
- benefits
- of
- the
- human-animal
- bond
- through
- JJ’s
- unwavering
- patience,
- love,
- and
- support
- for
- the
- hospice
- patients
- and
- their
- grieving
- families.
- JJ’s
- Journey
- brings
- to
- light
- that
- in
- our
- greatest
- time
- of
- need,
- every
- person
- can
- feel
- they
- are
- loved,
- honored,
- and
- mean
- something
- in
- this
- world
- thanks
- to
- the
- unconditional
- love
- that
- comes
- so
- naturally
- from
- a
- therapy
- dog’s
- heart.”
- —Colby
- Webb,
- Founder,
- Sav-a-Bull
- Rescue
- and
- author
- of
- Forty
- One
- Pit Bulls
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