Liz, a 2-year-old golden retriever, is passionate about her work. Every weekday at 8 a.m. sharp, she arrives at a Hollywood, Fla. hospital and does her rounds. She gives hugs, helps with physical therapy, and provides endless love for every patient she encounters. At the end of the day, she goes home with her person, who happens to be the hospital’s director of rehabilitation. When the vest comes off, she’s just a regular old family dog once again.
It’s a job Jake would love to have, except he is completely unqualified. Liz has been training for this job since she was 8 weeks old. Her repertoire includes 80 commands. On a good day, Jake responds to about five. And sometimes he gets those mixed up. But check out some of Liz’ talents:
“We use her with people that have strokes or spinal cord injuries. She can retrieve objects from the floor. She can assist someone to take their sock off,” Denise Maillet, director of rehabilitation services at the hospital, explained on JustNews.com. “She can open a refrigerator door. She even can put laundry from a laundry basket into a washing machine.
“She’s a big motivator. Like if we are trying to get the patient to walk farther, they might only walk 10 feet for the therapist, but if we ask them to walk the dog, they actually will walk 50 feet without even knowing it,” Maillet said.
I’d like Liz to come to my house for her laundry abilities alone, but we’d have to get a front-loading washer, and pay for her cross-country trip for each new load. Probably not the most efficient setup in the world.
Maybe this can be Jake’s sixth command? “Wash!” I wonder if Liz tutors?
To see Liz in action, check out this video.
