An award to bark about
By Jennifer Archibald

A team Joretta Boyd and her Yorkshire terrier, Buster, have been working as a volunteer therapy team for six years. They have made people smile, brought comfort, and assisted with educational and therapy-related goals. Comet photos by Jennifer Archibald

A seven-pound Yorkie named Buster has been named Companion Animal of the Year by the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association.

Buster, a therapy dog, lives with Joretta and Denny Boyd of Flora. As a team, Joretta and Buster visit nursing homes, mental health facilities, libraries, and schools. They “meet and greet” - lifting spirits and enriching lives.

Joretta and Buster are part of a therapy animal organization called Caring Paws. Dr. Lucie Levy, a West Lafayette veterinarian and founder of Caring Paws, nominated Buster for the award.

In her letter of nomination, Dr. Levy said Buster is one of Caring Paws’ most popular dogs and always steals the show.

“He has the courage of a Rottweiler, the intelligence of a German Shepherd, the gentleness of a Greyhound, the endurance of a Labrador, and the heart of a Golden Retriever,” she said.

Buster can make people smile without doing anything, but Levy says he is very talented and makes people laugh with his repertoire of tricks.

“His most popular and well known one is ‘kick the chicken,’” she said. When cued by Joretta, Buster gives a swift kick to a rubber chicken, sending it across the floor. He can also take a bow.

Buster’s role as a therapy dog includes much more than entertaining.

Joretta said she and Buster have gone to the West Lafayette Library many times to help with its “Reading for Fun” program. Children who are struggling in reading can come to the library and read to Buster or other therapy animals. Joretta said Buster sits there quietly and patiently, and is not judgmental.

“I’ve seen him initiate a response from a withdrawn Alzheimer’s patient and encourage a child with muscular dystrophy to walk straight,” Joretta said.

She and Buster have taken part in Camp Hope, a weekend for grieving children. Joretta said Buster brings a measure of comfort to the children and gives them a reason to smile.

She said Buster has a natural instinct for his therapy work. When they enter a facility, she lets him take the lead. At a Wabash Valley Hospital visit, Buster led her into a room where a man was suffering from depression. She asked the man if he would like to hold Buster. He shook his head in agreement. Later, a staff member asked the man what he enjoyed about having a dog there.

Nursing home visit. Photo provided

“It’s easier to talk to a dog than to people,” the man said.

Joretta said what they do is all about community volunteering. They go where they’re invited and where they can make a difference.

All Caring Paws animals are registered with Delta Society, which means that they are well trained and well behaved.

Joretta has been the Caring Paws program coordinator since the organization was formed in 1999. It started out with four teams and now there are 25.

The teams visit mostly in the Lafayette/West Lafayette area, but they’ve also gone to Carroll Elementary School in Flora and Milner Health Care Center in Rossville. Joretta said they’ve recently been invited to visit special needs children in the Rossville schools.

As part of his community volunteering, Buster has also been in two school plays. He was Toto in the “Wizard of Oz” at both Carroll and Rossville.

Buster has been a therapy dog for six of his eight years. Joretta said Buster has worked hard, and both of them have found their calling to be very rewarding.

“There’s a nurturing that takes place between dogs and humans,” Joretta said. She has kept a journal of all their visits, recording those “magic moments” where Buster has helped someone.

Buster has had to slow down recently because of a life-threatening health condition. He has started a new phase of his life, which Joretta calls “pampered retirement.”

The Boyds will attend the Companion Animal of the Year award presentation in Indianapolis on Jan. 19. As honored guest, Buster is invited, and they hope he will be able to attend.

He has always been Top Dog in the Boyd household, and now he’ll have an award to prove it.