A nursing home in New Brunswick is embracing their newest addition -- a four month old puppy – who’s come all the way from San Antonio, Texas.
Zeus the rescue dog is the newest resident at Moncton's Sunset Village nursing home and has been adopted by the nursing home's supervisor Tracey Thompson.
She says the idea was to bring therapy to the residents through her love for animals.
“The residents say one thing they miss is companionship,” Thompson said. “A lot of them are very lonely.”
Thompson says it was a long search through different shelters before she found the perfect match.
“Hope For Love Rescue finally was the one that contacted me and said ‘we have this litter of puppies,’” Thompson said.
Zeus defied the odds because of where he was living.
“It is a high-kill shelter,” Thompson said. “Sadly, the amount of dogs that are dropped off or abandoned is astronomical compared to anything around here.”
While the rest of the puppies are being fostered in Missouri, Zeus was collected at the St. Stephen border on May 26th.
It's been nothing but smiles ever since.
“We were all excited,” said Sunset Village resident Eileen Crossman. “I was so excited.”
Zeus even has his own service ID card and employee file.
“People want to talk to him and just go around and look what he’s doing,” Crossman said. “After their meals, I think he eats the leftovers!”
Staff at Sunset Village say Zeus has also been an excellent calming addition for some who struggle with things like anxiety.
“I have one resident in here, that in the year I’ve been here, I have never heard him laugh -- until the first day Zeus toddled into his room,” Thompson said.
Crossman says Zeus is just the company she needs, and she will soon become his full-time dog-walker.
“It’s good for the mind, it’s good for everything, a dog; no blood pressure,” Crossman said.
Zeus may still be a small puppy, but he’s had abig impact, lighting up the room wherever he goes.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kate Walker.
