The Delaney at Georgetown Village has welcomed a new permanent furry family member thanks to Living Grace Canine Ranch!
“Welcome to The Delaney family, George,” The Delaney at Georgetown Village wrote on Facebook. “George is a 13 year-old Maltese/Highland Terrier mix who came to us from Living Grace Canine Ranch in search of his forever foster home. We are happy to announce that George will be staying with us full-time as our ‘Delaney Dog’!”
George’s promotion to The Delaney Dog was long in the making and started when Amanda Herndon, Director of Memory Care at The Delaney at Georgetown Village, read about Living Grace Canine Ranch in the Community Impact in October 2020.
“An animal lover myself, I felt such joy in my heart for Rhonda Minardi and her mission to help senior dogs find love, care, and a forever home to live out their remaining days,” Herndon, Director of Memory Care at The Delaney at Georgetown Village, told Hello Georgetown. “That night, I sent an email to Rhonda explaining that I worked at The Delaney at Georgetown Village in the memory care community, and asked if she would be interested in working together to mutually enrich the lives of those we each served. Rhonda welcomed us with open arms and we became the first member of the Let’s Shake Paws program!”
In the months that followed, residents at The Delaney at Georgetown Village made homemade treats and tied no-sew fleece blankets for their canine friends at Living Grace Canine Ranch. Eventually, they The Delaney at Georgetown Village began making visits to the senior dog ranch.
“Eventually, We started taking outings to the ranch so that residents could spend 1:1 time with the dogs,” Herndon said. “Until most recently, once a week, we were hosting a different LGCR dog for a day to spend at the community. That was wonderful for so many reasons, especially for those who couldn’t participate in the outings.”
One day, Herndon said, Living Grace Canine Ranch called The Delaney at Georgetown Village about a special little dog named George.
“Rhonda called me up, and said she had the perfect dog for our community to foster forever,” Herndon said. “I had been considering the idea of a community dog for some time, and she knew that. She told me his name was George and that he was around 13 years old, had some medical needs, and had an extreme need to be “the only child.” That made me chuckle because I am an only child, and knew exactly how he must be feeling at the ranch surrounded by 60+ dogs. We agreed to a two-day trial to see how George fit in, but after the second day, we couldn’t give him back!”
Now, George is the official Delaney Dog and lives a life of adventure with all his new friends at The Delaney at Georgetown Village.
“I have many conversations daily, whether it be with staff, residents, or resident’s families, about their wanting to help care for George if he should ever need anything,” Herndon said. “He has numerous baby-sitters inside our community who open their homes to him for overnight stays so he is never alone. George is also treated to a spa day once a month by a LGCR volunteer groomer, who also happens to be the sister of one of our residents! Many staff members come and spend a few minutes with George while on their break. You know the saying–It takes a village to raise a child? Well, it takes a Delaney Village to care for George, and we love every minute of it!”
Herndon said his bouncy personality, fluffy fur and adorable quirks, like laying down with his legs stretched out like a frog or how he twirls and twirls after his trips to go potty, all add to the many reasons the residents and staff love him so much.
“During resident meal-times, he takes power naps in one of our offices so that he has enough energy to ‘work’ the rest of his shift,” Herndon said. “He spends most of his time working in our memory care community, but does mingle daily with our independent and assisted living folks too. If ever I am walking through the community alone, at least one person asks me, “Where’s George?” He is a part of our family. We love him.”
You can “like” and follow the many adventures of George on The Delaney at Georgetown Village Facebook page, and catch a few photos from some of his recent adventures below:
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