Photo courtesy of Lisa Fuller
Izzy has become a staple member of the Brookdale Kingston Senior Living center and the subject of an amazing dog rescue pet story after her owner, Jim, passed away from old age. The residents had become so attached to Izzy, and Izzy to the residents, that the staff couldn’t bear to give her away, and opted for an adoption. Once it was determined that Jim had no immediate family in the area who could care for her, Izzy’s fate was not questioned by anyone. “It was never even a thought,” says Lesa Fuller, Brookdale’s marketing and sales manager. Although Brookdale is not a dog rescue facility by any means, the team knew they had to go through with the adoption. It was just the right thing to do.” At this point, Izzy’s inspiring pet story had just begun.
The mixed-breed dog is now Brookdale’s official greeter, whose responsibilities include welcoming the guests who enter the living center. It is said that she takes her many dog jobs extremely seriously, and will not hesitate to greet almost every visitor with loving fervor.
Prior to her new dog jobs in hospitality, Izzy had a long and special relationship with Jim. “Jim had Izzy for over 10 years, and she was his constant companion,” Lesa says. When it was time for Jim to move into an assisted living facility, he boldly refused to unless he could have Izzy by his side. Thanks to Brookdale’s pet-friendly policy, Jim could have his strict condition met, and thus became Brookdale’s newest resident. “He refused to move to assisted living without her. He was very happy to know that we allowed him to bring her with him,” Lesa says.
Once Jim and Izzy were admitted, Izzy had no problems warming up to the other residents as well as the staff. “She was immediately welcomed,” Lesa says. According to Lesa, “Izzy loves everyone.” And when she says everyone, she means that it’s not just the residents that Izzy has gotten close to. She loves the staff, as well as the families of the residents. “She is especially close to Walter Greene, a resident’s husband who visits daily,” she says. Becoming a part of the family at Brookdale’s is just one of the many dog jobs Izzy pridefully carries out every day.
The love that Izzy receives from the residents and staff daily has helped her cope with Jim’s death and have become an integral part of Izzy’s adoption pet story. Lesa, in addition to Patti Bullen, Brookdale’s health and wellness director, are now Izzy’s main caretakers, and they couldn’t be happier with the dog rescue.
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