also has the run of the home’s enclosed court- yard, where he likes to retrieve tennis balls and roll around in the grass. Many residents keep


Rusty is top dog at Trinity Place in Albemarle, N.C. The 2-year-old dog from the Humane Society makes residents like Jaynata Haldar feel at home at the Lutheran Services of Carolinas-affiliated facility.


a stash of treats for Rusty when he visits their rooms. In fact, his food bowl goes untouched for long stretches because he grazes so much while he circulates around the building, residents say. “He’s a sweetheart,”


said resident Sarah Blalock, who looks for- ward to her daily dose


of Rusty. “He helps us. He makes me laugh.” Rusty visits Margaret Tyson every day. “He makes


me feel better,” she said. Increasingly, science backs up the idea that dogs do


make us feel better. Petting a dog can decrease levels of stress hormones, help lower blood pressure, and even release a hormone called oxytocin that is associated with bonding and affection. Holly Smith, a ward clerk at Trinity Place, believes


Rusty has a sense that draws him to comfort those who are suffering or nearing the end of life. When Smith’s grandfather was dying of cancer, Rusty


would come in every aſternoon while the family gath- ered and lie on the floor at the foot of his bed. “It was like he was checking on us,” she said. “If he wasn’t there, my mom would say, ‘Where’s Rusty?’ ” Adams has been gratified by how Rusty liſts every-


one’s spirits. “It really is amazing how much happiness he brings and what a differ- ence he can make in residents’ lives,” she said. 


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@eotours October 2015 39


Author bio: Scarvey is


communications specialist for Lutheran Services Carolinas.


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