A Little About Paloma

I lost my father in May 2018. I had just relocated to be near him and my mother in a new town with no friends or support. My father was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer a week after I moved, and I was then in the role to be the family social worker, coordinating doctor appointments, transportation, managing my mom’s emotions when she couldn’t. I started having anxiety attacks, felt a constant tension in my body, and due to the heaviness of my grief, I had a hard time leaving the house, which led to a spiral of loneliness and isolation.

I knew I needed something to help me meet people, get out of the house, create a sense of purpose. What I needed was a dog.

For weeks I scoured the rescue group pages in my area, but nobody was grabbing my attention until

January, 2019. Some women traveling in the area posted some pictures of a dog who was abandoned (and poisoned) with her 8 babies in a house. 7 of the puppies had died already and the dog was extremely malnourished, appeared to have a broken hip, and had no spirit left in her eyes.

I picked her up and took her to the vet 2 hours after seeing her story. The vet asked me what her name was, and Paloma was the first name that came to mind.

Paloma had to be in a wagon for the first 10 days because she couldn’t walk. I would wheel her down to the street, lift her out of the wagon, let her do her business, then lift her back in. This attracted a lot of attention, and forced me to interact socially with new people. I started to see the same people each day on our walks, and I started to make friends because of Paloma. Paloma was an amazing companion. She was always by my side and really enjoyed interacting with all

beings, which made our adventures seem less daunting on the really hard days.

I really do believe that our animals come into our lives when we need them the most. Paloma was exactly what I needed during my darkest days. She offered me comfort without asking for anything in return, and her presence became a constant reminder that I was not alone, even in my grief. Whether it’s a dog, a cat, or another animal, their unwavering support and ability to heal are gifts we can all lean into when we need it the most.

If you'd like to learn more, check out this article from Psychology Today.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/animal-assisted-therapy