Mollie

Pet's Age
3 years

Where are you from?
Cedar Rapids, IA

Entrant's Name
Lindsay Meade

Your Pet's Story or Bio
Hi! My name is Mollie and I’m three years old. I was adopted on June 7, 2019, just a few days after I turned one. I am in training to be an Animal Assisted Play Therapy® Dog through the International Institute for Animal Assisted Play Therapy® with my mom! My mom is a mental health therapist and a Registered Play Therapist® and she was taking me to work every single day prior to the pandemic. COVID-19 was hard on me because I hadn’t seen my clients in person for a long time. I don’t understand how my clients get in the computer, so I typically just take a nap and ignore them calling my name because I want them to come out of the computer and play with me, but they never do! I love people (especially kids), so being a therapy dog is the best possible thing for me!

I love my kitty sister, Lucky, and I’ve slowly been warming up to other dogs. After I left the shelter, Mom learned I’m actually dog reactive and it takes me a while to warm up to other dogs (I was scared in the shelter, so I just decided to be good and mind my business when around other dogs). Luckily, Mom has training in dog behavior, so she’s been slowly helping me feel more comfortable, but it’s a long process.

I absolutely love playing with the dogs I’m comfortable with, going on hikes, chasing squirrels and bunnies, and “protecting” my yard and field behind my house from dogs and their owners walking through. I’m not a huge fan of swimming or baths, but I love playing in puddles and large water bowls. I’m very demanding (I like to “happy growl” to get Mom’s attention) and spoiled in my Forever Home!

Mom did a DNA test in May 2020 and learned that I’m not actually a Labrador Retriever/Golden Retriever mix like she and the shelter thought. I’m actually 25% Labrador Retriever, 25% American Staffordshire Terrier, 12.5% Chow Chow, and 37.5% herding/sporting/terrier breeds. Mom was shocked! But she says all the time she still loves her mutt more than I’ll ever even begin to understand. I lost 20 pounds in the first year and a half Mom has had me, and I’m so much healthier and happier now that I’m at my ideal