KAUKAUNA, Wis. (WFRV) – There’s a new, and very fluffy face bringing smiles to residents at St. Paul Elder Services in Kaukauna.
Meet Willow, a golden retriever puppy with an important job ahead.
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“A house is not a home without a dog, so that’s certainly how we feel,” Annie Johnson, executive assistant and development coordinator at St. Paul Elder Services, said.
Willow arrived two weeks ago and has already made an impression.
Both staff and residents said it’s impossible to walk by without saying hi.
“I mean 20, 30, 40 people will stop to say hi,” Johnson said. “She’s not just for those we serve but also our associates; everyone just loves her so much.”
Willow will be a live-in service dog, tasked to spread happiness to everyone she meets.
“She brings up stories of the [residents’] past, and she’s a good conversation starter,” Johnson said. “She brings people together, and she brings so much joy.”
She was named by the residents through a voting system. The winner was Willow, but her middle name, Joy, is something she is living up to.
“Joy was [voted] so many times, that’s what is going to be her destiny,” Johnson said. “Just in the two weeks she’s been here, she has brought joy to so many people’s faces.”
Residents like Charlotte Dorow said she brings people together.
“She’s just everything,” Dorow said. “She’s just a little fluff ball. She does a lot for us people.”
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Staff at St. Paul Elder Services says Willow will spend the next couple of months training and will eventually be able to roam the halls doing what she does best — spreading joy.
“This is her home,” Dorow said.
