MYRTLE BEACH - 85-year-old Reala DiPinto ("Miss Rea" to her friends) got a special visitor at Active Day adult day care center Thursday morning.
Brody, a four-year-old Golden Retriever, made the rounds inside the activity room, to the delight of the crowd of clients gathered for their arrival.
"This is home to us," said DiPinto. "They're our friends here. They belong with us," she said.
Brody, along with two-year-old German Shepherd Abby, are part of weekly visits to Active Day.
"It gives (the clients) something to look forward to," said Lesley Bess, a registered nurse and director of the center. "the dogs walk in, and they don't care how old, they don't care if the person is in a wheelchair, but offer that touch and that love," she said.
The patients all gave out treats to the dogs, but made them "leave it," a couple of times before finally giving it to them. Handler Jeanne Maxon said that's part of Brody and Abby's training as rescue and therapy dogs.
"If you're in a hospital, you don't want them overly attentive to something that might smell different or touch something that they shouldn't," said Maxon. "It's 'leave' something that could be dangerous to them or people they are visiting."
Bess said she and her staff know the dogs are an important part of each week at Active Day.
"It encourages physical activity, and well after (the dogs) leave, the patients are still reminiscing and talking about them," she said.
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