Willy’s Story by Robin Levine

About 2 1/2 years ago we heard about an underweight 75-pound Great Pyrenees that needed a home. We had just fostered a puppy but figured we would just go to meet him. Anyone who knows us knows that we are not very good at just meeting dogs that need homes. We took him home that very morning. He was apprehensive to get in the car. The scar across his nose and his lack of teeth made us wonder where he came from and what kind of dog he would be. We learned that he was found wandering behind a gas station in Nashville, TN. His lack of teeth likely came from efforts to chew his way off a chain or from eating rocks just to fill his stomach. Unfortunately, or fortunately, we will never know where his scar came from. It took Willy a long time to get comfortable in our home. He loved hiding under the deck and refused to come upstairs to sleep. In the months that followed, Willy came out of his shell and began to be a part of the family. He was always gentle, sweet, and easy-going and that never changed. He gained weight and became the big mush that he is today.  We quickly realized that he could be our next therapy dog. Willy passed the test and we now had a pair of therapy dogs.